On Top of the World
by Jill-O-Lantern
Summary: Dash had always been a bully to Danny, but when Dash and Danny are partnered together for a project, something blossoms between them that no one had expected. How will Dash deal with the situation and how is Danny affected by Dash's decision?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, hello and welcome. This is my very first fanfiction! Yay... I guess. I may have bitten off more than I could chew, but I guess we'll find out together! Any way, let's just jump right in and not waste anymore time.

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Chapter 1

Danny POV

The silence was almost unbearable The only thing that could be heard was the ticking of the clock. My hands were trembling and I could feel the sweat drops forming near my hairline and then slowly making their way down my forehead and getting caught in my brow.

My legs were shaking below me, my feet bouncing up and down causing a slight tremor in the rest of my body. I tried to shift around in my confines, but there wasn't much moving i could do. The metal bar prevented me from moving my legs for their much needed stretching.

Another thing that was prominent was the heat. It felt overwhelming. It radiated from all around me. I tried to ignore it as best I could. I lifted my hand ever so slowly, curling my fingers a little to regain the feeling in my hand. After the blood started flowing again, I wiped the sweat from my forehead which caused a little relief.

I set down the wooden rod I had in my right hand and lifted it to my face as well. WIth both hands, I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the need to close them and get the ever needed sleep my body was crying out for. After stretching both my arms above my head, I extended them in front of me, setting them on the platform in front of my torso. I leaned forward hanging my head over the small platform, concentrating on what lay on it.

God, why is English so hard?

It didn't help to have Mr. Lancer glaring at me the whole time. I just needed to make it through this one test, and then I had freedom for the rest of the day. Glancing up at the clock, I realized that I still had half an hour before I could run out of the room without another word for Mr. Lancer.

I looked back to the paper in front of me, picking up my pencil and putting its tip to the white surface. I don't know about the 'difference in the narrator's voice depending on the time period' in To Kill a Mockingbird. And I couldn't give a damn about the symbolism in Lord of the Flies.

I sat in my confines for a while longer thinking that there was nothing I could do about my situation. I was going to fail this test. My grades weren't the best, but they weren't bad. Still, I didn't want another failing score in my record. I flung my head back and stared up at the ceiling, my arms dangling at my sides. I was ready to give up. I closed my eyes, trying to make myself believe that this test was almost over.

I sat still for a few moments before a wonderful smell filled my nostrils. I snapped my eyes open and tried to locate the source of the scent. I looked around before looking straight ahead and realizing that the source was coming from the form in front of me. The form in the red and white letterman's jacket. The very being that I have secretly admired for a while now.

Dash Baxter.

The simple-minded jock who bullied me whenever he got the chance. He sent me glares and insults. He shoved me in lockers, pushed me in the hall and hid my clothes after gym class.

And I still feel attracted to him and his brutish nature. Every night I dreamed of what it would be like with him. To feel his hands caressing my naked body, letting him do as he pleased. My dreams were the most exciting part of my day... until I woke up and realized I had ruined yet another set of perfectly good sheets. God, teenage hormones are the worst.

I realized I was gay the day I met him four years ago. I still haven't told anyone. I did have a short lived relationship with Sam, but dating her was like a reassurance that I really was gay. I loved Sam and all, but she was only ever going to be a friend to me. She seemed to understand that and didn't let our breakup affect our friendship at all, which I was thankful for.

I inhaled his scent again, letting it fill my lungs. If he knew how I felt about him, what would he do? Probably lay on the bullying even more. I'd never hear the end of his amusement. So, I kept quiet, not letting anyone in. And honestly, I was happy to keep my feelings to myself. I didn't have to deal with anyone else's opinion. I could just admire him and dream at night about him.

I redirected my attention back to the test in front of me and smiled. Maybe I did know a few things about To Kill a Mockingbird. That Atticus guy was pretty smart. I'll write something about that. Hey, this isn't so hard when you actually put some thought into it.

I worked my way through the test, actually creating meaningful answers. I had just finished the last question when Mr. Lancer spoke up.

"Alright, class. The testing period is over. Now hand in your tests and you can leave when the bell rings."

I stood up slowly, looking back over my answers and walking forward. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I slamminginto something in front of me. I assumed it was a wall, but after shaking my head, I realized I had slammed right into Dash. I felt my face flush at being this close to him. Soon all the blood left my face and pooled in my lower abdomen.

That process stopped, though, as he turned around and I saw the look of rage on his face. "Watch it, Fenton."

"So-sorry, Dash," was all I could supply for an answer.

"Whatever," was the last thing he said before he turned around again and continued towards Lancer's desk.

I just stood there for a minute before Tucker appeared beside me. "God, what is Dash's problem?" I didn't answer. I just stared as Dash got farther and farther away. "Danny!"

"Wh- Oh. Yeah, sure, Tucker." I hadn't even hear his question.

"Danny, are you ok? Do we need to make an emergency trip to the Nasty Burger?"

I smiled. "Sure, bud. Maybe we could meet sam there later."

Before Tucker gave his response, Mr. Lancer spoke up again. "Daniel, Tucker, are you two just going to stand there dawdling or are you going to turn in your tests?"

Tucker answered, "Yeah, Mr. Lancer. Don't worry." He turned back to me. "I'm sure Sam would love to pay a visit to the Nasty Burger."

We walked up to Lancer's desk and put the test on the pile. The bell rang not too long after and the whole class filed out of the room. Tucker and I walked up to my locker and I opened it. "So what time should we meet up?"

"For what?" We heard Sam say as she approached us.

"Oh, Danny and I were going to go to the Nasty Burger later. Wann come?"

"Oh yeah! I'm in. But I'm busy until five. We can meet up there after I'm done."

I was intrigued. "What are you doing for two hours?"

She groaned, clearly not happy about what she was busy with. "My parents. Is there any more I need to say?"

"No need." I replied saving her from the agony that plagued her thoughts. "Just give me a call when you two decide to get together and I'll be there." I placed my hand over my pocket to where my phone was to add effect and realized it wasn't there. I started to do a mini pat-down of my waist and all my jean pockets. Obviously Sam and Tucker noticed.

"What up, Danny?" Tucker asked concerned.

I stopped my search immediately realizing where it was. I flung my head back and let out a frustrated sigh. "I left my phone in the locker room after gym."

"Wow, Danny. Forgetful, much?" Sam teased with a smile.

"Oh, ha ha, Sam. Well, I ought to go get it. I'll see you guys later." I gave a small wave to them before walking in the direction of the locker rooms.

I made my way through the swarm of teenagers, no doubt excited about the upcoming weekend. The incessant buzz of their conversations made their way to my ears and I did my best to ignore it.

I soon found my way to the locker room door without getting mauled by the pack in the halls. I opened the door and Made my way to my locker and just my luck...

Dash and Kwan were standing there getting ready for football practice. I hung my head and tried to go unnoticed as I made my way closer to them to get into my locker. To my dismay, Kwan and his observant self had to notice my presence.

"Hey, Danny, what are you up to?"

"Probably getting his tutu out of his locker for ballet practice." Dash added in his usual tormenting voice.

I sighed and turned to face him. "Actually, Dash, I just forgot my cell phone in my locker and was coming back to get it."

"Oh, look at little Fenton. He can't remember where he put his phone. It's no surprise really, He'd lose his brain if it wasn't in his head."

"You're one to talk." I countered.

His smile fell immediately and he stormed up to me making me back up into the lockers. "Are you calling me stupid, Fenton?"

I didn't let the fear or lust appear on my face. When that scent filled my nostrils again, I wanted to smash my face against his chest and soak up the smell, but I resisted. Instead, I jsut stayed silent.

"Well?" He was getting more angry and looked as if he was ready to beat me senseless.

"Come on Dash. Let it go. We gotta get to practice.

Dash glanced at Kwan before looking back to me and narrowing his eyes. "You got lucky this time. Don't expect the same next time." He backed off and walked away with Kwan out the door. Once the door closed behind them, I exhaled the breath I had been holding.

I sank to the floor and hang my head in my hands. Why do I get this way when I'm around Dash? He does nothing but torment me and yet every time I go crawling back for more of his bullying. Maybe I just liked when he gave me , that was probably it.

I gave a heavy sigh and stood up slowly. I turned to open my locker and grabbed my phone that had been waiting for me there. I picked it up and put it in my pocket and shut the locker again, fastening the lock around the handle. I turned to leave when I noticed an open locker door.

I turned my head to it and noticed that Dash had forgotten to close his locker. I smiled slightly and shook my head softly. He truly was an idiot. With another sigh, I decided to be the better person and lock his locker for him before some larcon wandered upon it.

I approached the small door and picked up the lock, but just before I had the door closed I noticed a red and white jacket sitting in the small space. The same jacket that had been giving off the sweet smell earlier in English. I looked around the locker room making sure no one was around before I reached in and put my hand on the fabric.

It was softer than I had expected it to be. No wonder Dash wore it all the time. If I had a jacket this soft, I'd probably where it to school everyday too. And if it had the same smell, I'd probably never take it off. I picked up the jacket, weighing it in my hands. I could almost feel Dash inside it but alas, he wasn't actually in it.

After one last glance around my shoulders, I tentatively raised the fabric to my face and inhaled as deeply as I could. After my lungs were filled, I let my head fall back as I exhaled with a moan of pleasure. Dear God, that smell was delicious! I could never get enough of it. I took another smell and felt blood rush to my groin.

I still had my face buried in the fabric, but felt my knees go weak and I sat down on the floor before I collapsed. brought my knees to my chest, only making me more aware of the growing need under the denim of my jeans. I lowered the wonderful smelling fabric from just enough to let my eyes assess the situation.

My lower abdomen was starting to really hurt. If I didn't take care of this immediately, even the soothing scent of Dash's letterman's jacket couldn't ease the pain that would start up soon. Normally, I would only pleasure myself with thoughts of Dash while I was in my own bedroom with plenty of privacy. But, obviously, these were not normal circumstances. I had to care of this right now. And to be honest, the thought of getting caught was really... erotic.

I lowered one hand from the fabric and pressed gently on the bulge near my abdomen. I gasped at the touch as pleasure shot through my body. I pressed the fabric closer to my face and covered my face again, blocking out the whole world from this moment right now. I inhaled again and pressed harder. A greater amount of pleasure surged through me and I fisted the material in my hand. I begin breathing in and out steadily, savor the scent as my hand trailed up my jeans to the brass button and undid it allowing my hand betterr access.

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A/N: Yes? No? Maybe so? It wasn't very long, but I try my best. I will try to make the chapters longer as I progress, I promise. I wan to know what you all think and I want you to know that I don't plan to update until I get at least 10 reviews. 10. That's all. That's not so hard is it. So, if you liked it, let me know, if you hated it, let me know, more power to you. I just see no point in continuing if no one is reading, you know? One last thing. I've read some pretty amazing fanfics in my day so go check out my favorites to read some of them. There are some in there for you Dash/Danny lovers. Ok, that's it. I'm done. Go read some more fanfiction! It's good for the soul!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I was going to wait until I got ten reviews, but I had it written, so I decided I might as well update. Enjoy and Review!

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Chapter 2

Dash POV

We were running our fifth sets of sprints at practice before they really started to get to me. Most of the guys had collapsed from exhaustion already and were breathing heavily on the side of the field. I started to become short of breath, but I ignored it. I loved football. It was really the only thing I was good at.

My parents were always telling me that I needed to figure out a career. Hell, it was already my Senior year and I hadn't even thought about what I wanted to do. I knew what I wanted to of course, but there was no way that with my grades I'd get accepted to a good college.

I just kept running hoping that would take my mind off of things for a while, but to my dismay, Coach stopped us. I didn't know just how many I had run, but apparently it had been too much for everyone else as they were all laying flat on the turf trying to fill their lungs with the air around them. I smirked at the sight before Coach spoke up.

"What do you think you're doing? The playoffs are coming up in a few weeks and here you all are laying around like this is hard or something!" She moved next to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "Look at Dash, here. He's dedicated and motivated. None of you seem to possess those two things. That's why he's the Quaterback. Leadership! That's what makes Dash who he is. He'll go far if he remembers that."

I took in her words, but I wasn't sure if I believed them. I didn't see a future for myself. And I really didn't want to spend the rest of my life playing football. Maybe there was something out there for me. I don't know...

"Hey, Coach," I said turning to her. She looked back, giving me her full attention. "Earlier, I told you that I would have to leave early from practice today."

She smiled. "Yes, I remember. And I assume that if you are reminding me, I assume you have to leave now."

I smiled this time. "Yeah. Is it alright if I take off?"

"Sure, just be ready for tomorrow's practice."

"Thanks Coach." I walked off towards the locker room as Coach shouted at the guys to get back up and get to work. I let my thoughts drift back to her words. 'He'll go far if he remembers that.' Did she mean it? Was there really a future for me. Leadership. Was I a leader? Dedication, motivation. Is that what everybody sees in me? Do more people believe in me?

I shook my head vigorously. No. What people see when they look at me is the bully who picks on the nerds. They probably think I'm worthless and that I'm going nowhere in my life. They're probably right. Still, I could give it a go. I could try to be the motivated leader Coach thinks I am. I smiled at the thought. Yeah, and hell, it could even be fun!

My thoughts were interrupted by a door. I had run straight into it. I guess I was too lost in thought to notice that it was there. I looked around to see if anyone saw my little hiccup and when it appeared as if I was clear, I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

I opened the door and walked slowly across the tile. The first thing I noticed was the increased heat. It wasn't too noticeable but still it was there. I disregarded it and continued walking slowly. I took tentative steps, still deep in thought.

Maybe the nerds- maybe Danny and his friends would forgive me for what I've put them through if I apologized. Maybe we would become friends. Really the only friend I have i Kwan, so I wouldn't mind a few extra friends. I smiled at the thought. This sounded like it was going to be the start of a new chapter in my life, and frankly I was excited. THe first thing I would do is-

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft noise. I wasn't entirely sure what it was or where it came from, but I was positive I heard it. I took another quiet step forward and heard it again. This time I was confused. Was that really what I thought it was. It sounded-almost- like a... moan. And the painful kind. I peered in each corner of the locker room looking for the source of the noise. I had checked three aisles of the room before I saw something that made me jump back.

There was a figure, definitely male, sitting on the floor, something covering his face, his hand in his pants. Now, I may not be the brightest student at Casper High School, but I know what that student is doing... Anybody with half a brain could. I tried to ignore the sounds escaping from the small frame. I closed my eyes and started to walk away.

"Ahhh- Dash!"

I didn't get two steps before I froze. Did I hear what I thought I just heard. I had to have been hearing things. However, I wasn't hallucinating as I heard it again.

"Dash! That's so good! More!"

All the color drained from my face and I went back to the corner of the aisle and peered around slowly. The sight almost made me want to run away screaming. Barely visible beneath the material covering the boy's head was a familiar head of messy jet black hair.

Then I noticed what was draped over his face. Was that-! It was! It was my _letterman's jacket_. My eyes widened and I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to look at that jacket the same way, let alone wear it. And that was a shame; it was soft.

My eyes traveled a little lower to his chest. He was wearing a white tee shirt with red on the collar and sleeves and a red oval in the middle. That was a dead give away.

Danny Fenton. He was the one laying there on the floor muttering these obscenities. I felt myself smile evilly. This was too good. Little Fenton, caught with his pants down... literally. I was just about to turn and run out to the field and tell everyone, but I stopped. What about that new beginning? It would be really hard to make new friends if I left Fenton to the lions.

I sighed to myself. Fine. I would let Danny go... this time. I started to walk away when I heard him speak again.

"Dash... Dash! I'm going to-"

He didn't finish his sentence, but I knew exactly what was going to happen and if I didn't hide soon, he was going to catch me. I looked around, evaluating my options before deciding to hide in one of the shower stalls. I dove in, pretty quietly I may add and sat down, keeping perfectly still.

I heard one last outburst from Danny before he presumably released. I stayed silent. Even after he had left the locker room, I still sat where I was. It wasn't until the shoulderpads started digging into my neck that I moved. I stood up slowly and got out of the shower. I dreaded walking into the aisle to where my locker was.

When I turned the corner, I was surprised. I had expected the lockers to be covered in white splatter, but it looked as if no one had been in here. It looked exactly as it had before. I turned to my now closed locker. I found myself smiling. That Fenton sure was a nice guy, despite what he used my jacket to do. He wouldn't have gotten it if I had locked my locker. But regardless, The school was full of kleptos and Danny had just made sure that I would have my possessions for another day.

I opened it up and first pulled out my jacket. I set it aside for now and reached for my other clothes. I stripped off my football uniform and replaced them with my normal street clothes. I grabbed my backpack from its hook and put it on the bench next to my letterman's jacket. I thought it over for a few minutes before shoving it in my backpack and sliding my arms through the straps.

I walked out of the silent locker room into the halls of the school. It was really disturbing without the various groups of students littering the walls. And it was kinda nice, having all this space to myself. I wasn't rushed or being constantly run into.

As, I walked out the front entrance, I felt my pocket vibrate. I reached in and pulled out my cell phone. A text message from my mom appearing.

'Sorry. I'm running late. I'll be there in about 15 minutes. I love you sweetie,' is what it said. I smirked. My mom was never on time. She's always late. I wish I had driven to school today. Now I wouldn't have to wait for my mother to come get me and take me to her friends house for the rest of the night. I didn't want to go, but hey, there are worse things in life that spending a few hours at your parent's friends house. I let out a sigh and sat down on the stairs.

I was perfectly alone and it gave me even more time to think, like I didn't have enough back in the locker room.

I had just walked in on Danny, and hopefully he had not noticed my presence. He was screaming my name and had my jacket over his face...

So why didn't I feel disgusted?

Rather, I felt flattered. Was that weird? Probably. One thing's for sure. I was ecstatic that it was the weekend. And I had no homework. That meant I could spend the next two days deciding what I was going to do when I saw Danny on Monday.

I wasn't sitting for too long before my mom pulled up in front of the school. I got in the car without a word. "Did you have a good day at school, sweetie?"

I hesitated a moment. "Sure, yeah. It was alright." She got that look on her face that said she didn't believe me, but she didn't press any further. She just drove the car to the destination and we didn't exchange any more words the whole car ride.

I hadn't realized we arrived until my mom shook my shoulder. "Dash, we're here." I looked back at her with a blank expression. "Are you okay? is something bothering you?"

I forced a smile. "No, mom, everything's fine." I followed her out if the car and up to the front door. She rang the doorbell and not too long after, the door opened and a woman stepped out. "Jennifer, it's so good to see you." She gave my mom a hug before turning to me. "And I see you brought Dash with you. My, how you have grown."

"He wanted to come, Philippa." That was a lie. Well, I told my mom I wanted to go just to get her off my case, but really, I would have prefered to have hung out with Kwan.

"Well then let's not waste anymore time. Maybe Dash can join us on our next game of Scrabble." Philippa gestured us inside and closed the door behind us.

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I have to say, it was fun. Who knew I was so good at Scrabble? I couldn't help but smile when we walked out the door saying goodbye to Philippa. "Did you have fun, Dash?"

I smiled genuinely at her. "Yeah, I did." And I truly did. Philippa wasn't crazy, which was nice and she was one of my mom's closest friends.

We arrived back at the house and it was pretty late. My mom headed up to bed and so did I. I changed out of my street clothes and into my pajamas. I laid down on my bed and curled my arms behind my head, staring up at the ceiling.

My thoughts drifted back to earlier in the locker room. As far I could see, there were two options concerning the situation. I could confront him about it and get a good laugh out of it. Or I could ignore what happened and I could go on with my life and Danny could go on with his.

I knew the first option would be much more entertaining, but then I remembered the promise I made to myself. I sighed and silently decided to go with the second option. I managed to fall asleep a few minutes later.

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The rest of the weekend was uneventful. I had a few lingering thoughts about Danny, but for the most part I managed to enjoy my weekend. I go together with Kwan and we hung out for a while. My mom and I tried to make baked Alaska, but it didn't work as well as we had hoped.

Before long, I found myself roaming the newly filled hallways. I frowned at the sight. I missed the open space and the quiet surroundings. I saw Kwan in the down a ways and waved to him. He came up to me and frowned.

"Hey, bud, where's your jacket? Don't you always wear your jacket?"

He was right, but I couldn't tell him why I wasn't wearing it. I quickly made up a lie. "Oh, I just decided not to wear it today, didn't want it getting worn out, you know?"

Luckily, Kwan seemed to believe me. "Whatever you say." The bell rang, signaling we had five more minutes to get to our first class. "I'll see you around buddy."

"Yeah, for sure." I shoved my hands in my pockets and started to make my way to my first class. I wasn't watching where I was going and ran into somebody. "Sorry I-"

"Hey, watch it, Dash!" The speaker was none other than Danny Fenton. I could think of nothing to say so I just stood there. "What? Cat got your tongue?" After I still said nothing he sighed. "Whatever. I'm going to class."

I watched him walk away and suddenly felt the urge to run up to him and just... give him a hug. God, what is wrong with me. I trudged my way to my first class and sat down in my seat just as the bell rang.

I went through the rest of the day, just kinda floating. I didn't really speak or participate. I was okay with that. I just really wanted to get out of there. The last class of the day finally approached and I made my way to Mr. Lancer's classroom.

I was taken aback by the room when I entered. Instead of the normal rows, there were multiple groups of two desks spread out the room. I looked to Mr. Lancer with a confused look. He got the message. "Just sit anywhere for now."

I took a seat near the back and waited for Kwan to get there. I waved to him to come sit with me. He sat down and said, "What's with the desks?"

"I don't know. Lancer's off his rocker again." Kwan and I laughed and then I noticed a familiar figure walk in the door. I glanced over and saw Danny with Tucker. That's right. I have English with Danny. Damn. Luckily he sat down with Tucker on the opposite side of the room without acknowledging me at all.

Soon the bell rang and Mr. Lancer started his lesson. "Alright, class, before I explain the seating arrangement, I'm going to pass back your tests from Friday. And to be honest, I'm quite impressed with the results."

He made his way around the room. I noticed that when he handed Danny his test, he had a mini celebration which made me think that he got a good score. I don't know why, but I found myself smiling. Then Lancer handed me my test. A fairly large B- was at the top of my paper. I felt the need for my own mini celebration. I had done a lot better than I had expected. Kwan had done really well too.

Soon Lancer finished passing out the tests he moved to the front of the room and began his explanation. "As I'm sure you are all aware, we will be starting the poetry unit of the curriculum today. And I'm going to teach it differently this year. I am partnering up the class and each pair will study one poet and then each pair will teach the rest of class about that poet." Suddenly, the class was looking around trying to find a partner, but Lancer put a stop to that. "Not so fast. I have already picked the partners." There was a collective groan from the class.

"When I read you and your partner, I want you to get together in one of the desk pairs. Then, once all the pairs are made, I will come around with this cup." He held up a cup for effect. "And you and your partner will select a poet. Now let's get started."

He started reading off pairs and as the numbers started dwindling, I got hopeful that maybe I would get paired with Kwan, but Lancer killed that immediately. "Kwan and Tucker." There was a groan from both people in question. He continued through pairs and I paid no attention until he said my name. "Dash and Danny."

Oh no. I wanted to just ignore him. Apparently Lancer had other ideas. Kwan had already moved to a desk with Tucker, so Danny filled in the empty space he had left behind. Lancer finished the rest of the pairing and started around with the cup. I just stared at Danny, not saying a thing. He noticed that I was staring but he didn't say anything.

I hear Lancer call out various poets like Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Then he got to us. Danny leaned forward to pick a poet. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Mr. Lancer. He took it from Danny, unfolded it and smiled. "William Shakespeare."

The name sounded familiar. Mr. Lancer handed Danny a sheet of paper and gave me an identical one. It had a list of a bunch of Shakespeare sonnets and biographies, as well a bunch of ideas on how to present his work to a class.

"You have the rest of the period to figure out what you want to regarding the presentation. I do expect you to get together outside of class as we cannot spend all class working on this project."

I turned back to Danny who was reading the list. "I think we should make a timeline and for every point in his life, we can read an excerpt from poems he wrote."

I let go of any awkwardness I would have created and decided to just talk to him. "That sounds great." We spend the rest of class talking about the details of how we'd present. To be honest, talking to Danny was really easy. And it was fun. He had a sense of humor which made our conversation very enjoyable.

Soon Mr. Lancer interrupted the work the class was doing. "Class will be over in five minutes so finish up what you're working on."

I was kind of upset. Working with Danny was a lot of fun and I felt we were going to do really well on this project. He was putting his things in his backpack and I spoke up. "Hey, Danny." He looked up at me. "Do you wanna come over to my house later and we can get a jump start on the content?"

He gave me a smile. "Yeah sure. What time should I be over?"

"Does six o'clock work for you? I got football practice until five."

"Sure. I'll be there." Then the bell rang. He looked at the door where Tucker was standing. He was gesturing for Danny to come with him. He haled up a finger to signal one moment and turned back to me. "I'll see you later." He then walked away to join his friend in the hallway

I got up as well and walked with Kwan into the hall, heading to the locker rooms. Kwan and I engaged in playful conversation, but nothing too important. Throughout the rest of football practice, I was internally smiling for later when Danny would be coming over to my house.

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A/N: Yay! Another chapter done. To be honest, I don't have chapter 3 written, or started for that matter, so it'll probably be a few days before that's out, but be patient, my darlings. I have nothing going on for the next two weeks until school starts so this is what I'll be doing. I'll have the next chapter when it's written. So, bye bye for now :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: New Chapter! I've decided to put the author's notes in bold so that they are more distinct from the story. So, I've discovered, it takes me about two days for my to write a chapter due to my short attention span. Any way on to chapter 3.**

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Chapter 3

Danny POV

I stopped by the library after school to pick up some of the books on the list. There were a bunch of books about him. I grabbed all the ones they had that were on the list, plus a few extras. I sat down at a table to read for a bit. I didn't know what was going on at really, but I suppose that's sixteenth century English for you.

I read for about an hour. When I checked the time, it said it was 4:15. I decided I should be getting home. I got the books checked out and started on my way home. I didn't live far from the library and was soon inside my home. I took off my backpack filled with the many books I'd just gotten and set it by the door.

I walked up the stairs to my room after saying hello to my mom and dad and Jazz. I decided I had enough time to take a shower so I stopped by the bathroom before making it to my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and got in the shower. I let the warm water rush over my body as I let my thoughts wander to a one Dash Baxter.

How long had I had these feelings for him...? To be honest, I really didn't know. A long time would have to be the answer I give to that question. I'd made a vow never to tell anyone, and I wonder if that was the right decision. I sighed and turned off the water. I stepped out of the shower grabbed a towel. I ran it over my head, drying as much of my hair as I could. After drying the rest of my body, I wrapped the towel around my waist and made my way back to my bedroom.

I got dressed pretty slowly. I put on a pair of black cargo shorts. They threatened to fall off my non-existent hips so I grabbed a belt out of one of my draws and put it through the belt loops. I followed with a white tee shirt. I turned and walked over to my bed, falling down on it.

I laid on my bed in silence. I had nothing to do until six o'clock. At six o'clock is when I'd be at Dash's house. I wasn't sure if I should feel lucky to be getting to spend time with Dash, or to feel terrified that I was being allowed to enter the house of the boy who had been bullying me for years.

Regardless, in about an hour, that was where I'd be going. I heard a shout come from down stairs. "Danny, can you come here for a minute?" It was my mom, probably calling for me because dinner was ready or something.

I got up off my bed to go downstairs when I heard a crash. I ran to the source of the sound and saw what I presumed to be my parent's latest ghost hunting device on the floor, on top of my dad. "Um. mom, what's going on?"

She turned around, obviously having not heard my entrance. "Well, we were going to ask you what you thought we could do to get this device working, but now it appears that our new objective is to get it off of your father before it breaks something inside him."

I smiled and laughed quietly. My dad was always doing stuff like this. I got on one side and Mom got on the other. "On three. One... two... three!" On my mom's command, we both lifted the device and Dad crawled out from beneath it.

"Thanks a bunch, you two." He said, his smile as wide as ever.

I looked to the device that had just been crushing my dad. it looked complicated and I knew that if I didn't say something soon, they'd start rambling to me about what it did, and frankly, I didn't want to listen to them.

"Hey, Mom, is it cool if I go over to my friend's house for a bit to work on a project? I'll only be gone a few hours." I asked her as nicely as I could.

"Well, sure, Sweetie. Do you want your father to drive you over?" My dad jumped up at the suggestion.

"Yeah, Danny, I'll drive you!" He got really excited.

It wasn't that I didn't want to almost kill myself while driving with my dad, I just- no, that was pretty much it. But that's not what I told my dad. "Uh, no thanks, Dad, I think I'll just walk."

He didn't seem too disappointed. "Alright, Danny, just don't stay out all night."

"Thanks." I walked back upstairs and looked at the clock on the wall. If I left now, I should get to Dash's right around six. I grabbed my backpack that was sitting by the front door and left the house.

I decided just to walk. I could have gone ghost and flown over there, but then I would have gotten there too early. I just walked the few blocks to his house and before I knew it, I was at his front door. I hesitated in ringing the doorbell, but somehow, I had managed.

A few moments later, a woman opened the door, I assumed she was Dash's mother. She had brown hair, but her eyes were exactly like Dash's.

"Well, you must be Danny. Dash told me you were coming over." She smiled at me and then turn her head over her shoulder. "Dash, your friend is here." She didn't shout so he must not have been too far away. She looked back at me. "Come in. Please, come in." I did as she said and took in the Baxter house. It was quite simple and very open. There wasn't a lot of furniture but it still felt homely.

"Would you mind taking your shoes off? You can leave them by the door." Mrs. Baxter said once I was inside.

"Oh, sure." I did as she asked and placed my shoes next to two pairs already by the door.

Soon Dash came into view. "Hey, Fenton. So, you ready to go get some work done?" He started up the stairs

"Sure." I walked up to follow him.

"If you two need anything, just let me know." That was the last thing Mrs. Baxter said before Dash and I disappeared up to the top level of the house. He entered a room, which I presumed to be his bedroom, and sat down on his bed.

I just stood there for a moment before he glanced over at me, giving me an odd look. "What's wrong Fenton?" My head snapped to him at the sound of his voice.

"Oh, I just don't know where to sit is all." It was the truth. Well part of it. What I was really concerned about was that I was sure that any little thing I did might make him made and then he'd throw me out of his house.

"Oh," he didn't sound angry. "Well, you can just sit down at the desk." He pointed to a small desk opposite his bed. I walked over and took my backpack off placing it on the floor before taking a seat on the chair that was in front of the desk.

I opened my backpack and pulled out some books while Dash started up a laptop. "I went by the library and picked up some books." He looked up from the computer screen at me.

"Great. The internet wasn't getting me anywhere." I rolled my eyes and tossed him a few books.

We sat in silence for a while just reading before Dash spoke up. "Hey, did you know this guy wrote poems called sonnets? They're pretty amazing. Granted, I have no idea what he's talking about."

I smiled. "Yeah, I know Dash. He wrote over a hundred of them. His eyes widened.

"That's so cool!"

I laughed at him silently but he just had a blank look on his face which made me laugh even more. This was going to be fun I could tell.

We had been working for a few hours when I finally looked at the clock. It wa 10:23. Oh my god, I'd been here for four hours. We had been making some good progress over the last few hours, I guess time just got away from us. I rubbed my eyes as a wave of exhaustion hit me. "Hey, Dash." He didn't answer. "Dash?" I looked up and saw that he was sitting against the wall, asleep.

I smiled and started putting books in my backpack. Once I had most of them in, I zipped it closed and put it on the chair. I looked back at Dash and noticed how at peace he looked. He looked like he had no troubles at all. I smiled. That would be a nice feeling. I doubt I'd ever feel it. I was too busy with a normal teenager's life, not to mention all the ghost fighting. Granted, in the last few years, I have done less and less ghost fighting.

I walked over to him and kneeled down. I took in his sleeping features again. I couldn't help but smile. I put both my knees on the bed, the mattress giving way to my weight. and extended my hand in front of me so I was on all fours. I put both hands on either side of his legs. I inched forward until my hands were almost touching the wall. My face was so close to his at this point that I could feel each breath he made.

I inhaled, looking for that sweet smell that he produced all the time. I didn't find it and leaned forward a little more. I inhaled again and finally smelled it. I would never get enough of that scent. It smelled like a mix of vanilla and honeysuckle. That's what I would guess, but whatever it was, it was intoxicating.

I looked to his peaceful face, my eyes roaming its features. My eyes settled their search upon his lips. They looked so inviting, almost irresistible. I was tempted to lean forward and see if the taste would be just as sweet as the smell. I looked up to his eyes again. They were still closed. I inched forward ever so slowly. I tried to fight the desire to just grab his head and devour his mouth.

My eyes kept darting between his lips and his eyes. Now I was so close that is I leaned forward maybe a centimeter, my lips would be connected with his. I was still hesitant. I don't know why though. The one I had admired for years was just within my reach and I was barely able to hold back. I closed my eyes slowly. Soon, my desires got the rest of me and I closed the rest of the distance, gently pressing my lips to his.

They were so soft against my own. It was the single greatest feeling I'd ever experienced.I wanted to just keep my lips against his forever but I knew that was not an option. Tentatively, I pulled away and smiled. My eyes were still closed and my breathing slowed as well as my heart beat.

"Danny? What are you doing?"

I froze and my heart rate sped up again after having just slowed down. My eyes shot open and I pulled back, looking at Dash. He had this look on his face that reminded me of... disgust. Oh, God what have I done?

"Danny, why-"

"I'm sorry, Dash. That was inappropriate. It won't happen again. I'll just get my things and leave." He started to speak but before he could get two words out, I had grabbed my backpack, ran down the stairs, put on my shoes and was out the door. I went ghost and fly off into the air. I was too shocked to think. I fly the short distance to my house, landed on my bed, turned human again and through my backpack off the bed.

I curled up on my bed and felt bead of warm liquid fall down my face. Soon a few tears turned into full on sobs. I had just ruined any friendship that we could have had. I couldn't face him tomorrow. I couldn't face anyone. Dash had no doubt told everybody he knew what I did and walking into school tomorrow would be like walking to the slaughter.

I sobbed for a while longer, I'm not sure how long but I do remember I was still sobbing when sleep overtook my body. A restless sleep, nothing like the peaceful sleep Dash is blessed with.

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**A/N: And it's done. Please review. I really would like to know what you guys think. Expect another chapter in about two days.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4! I like this chapter, my favorite so far. I hope you like it too.**

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Chapter 4

Dash POV

I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep until I regained consciousness. How long had I been out? I hope it hadn't been long. My body was slower than my mind, so I couldn't move yet. I sat against the wall waiting until my eyelids would be able to open. I became aware of my surroundings and felt someone on the bed with me.

I still couldn't find the strength to open my eyes but that changed when I felt a pressure on my lips. My eyes snapped open to see a face in front of my eyes. The face's eyes were closed beneath the mess of black hair. Was... was Danny kissing me? I thought that I should have been appalled at his action. I should have pushed him away...

But I didn't. I didn't want to.

It felt wonderful, his mouth against mine. I began to lift my hand to grab his head and hold him, but he pulled away before I could. He had a smile on his face, as he should. I'm sure that had been just as enjoyable for him. Still, I wanted to know why he pulled away.

"Danny, what are you doing?"

What was he doing pulling away from me like that? His eyes snapped open and he looked at me. He jumped off the bed and just stared at me with a terrified face, like he regretted what he'd just done. He shouldn't feel that way. He just stood there and looked like he had no intention of speaking so I broke the silence.

"Danny, why-"

But he interrupted me. "I'm sorry, Dash. That was inappropriate. It won't happen again. I'll just get my things and leave." He had found the will to speak again. I tried to stop him, but before I knew it, he had grabbed his stuff and was out the door. I jumped off my bed to run after him. He can't have gotten far. I practically jumped down the stairs.

My front door was still open, and I ran to it. "Danny, wait!" I ran out onto the front drive and looked around. He was nowhere in sight. Where could he have gone. "No, Danny, come back!"

He was too far gone to hear me. I dropped to my knees on the hard concrete. What have I done? I took something that could have been wonderful and just threw it away. I pounded my fists on the driveway and hung my head. I felt tears run down my face and stain the concrete.

This was my fault. I drove him away when he misunderstood what I meant. What was wrong with me? All I do is mess up everything. I just stayed there in silence until I stopped shaking. I lifted my head and leaned back on my legs. I looked up at the sky as if the answer was there and whispered one last thing to Danny, even though he couldn't hear me.

"I'm sorry, Danny."

* * *

Somehow after last night, I managed to drag myself back to my bedroom and fall asleep. The next morning when I woke up, sunlight leaked into the room. I was surprised because it didn't get this bright until about 9:00. I glanced over at my clock and sure enough, the time read 9:47. Well this is just wonderful. There was no point in going to school now.

I sat up slowly as I recalled the events of last night. I sighed and hung my head. THere was so much running through my head that I couldn't pick one thing to think about. I needed answers but couldn't think of where to get them.

I lifted the comforter from my body and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I wonder how Danny was doing. He was probably glad that I wasn't there to ruin his life some more. I stood up and stretched my muscles. I threw on a shirt and left my bedroom. My mom was already at work so there was no one here that I could talk to.

I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of orange juice and leaned over the counter as I drank it. What is happening to me? What am I feeling for Danny? I had no answer to any question that was running through my head.

Having finished my orange juice, I placed the glass in the sink and trudged back to the stairs. I started climbing them trying to organize the chaos in my brain. I got to my room and made my bed. After the blankets were all in order, I placed my hands on the mattress. I really need to clear my head, so I decided to take a walk.

I replaced my pajama pants with a pair of jeans and through on my black leather jacket over the tee shirt I was wearing. I slipped on my shoes that we by the door before opening the door and stepping out into the morning light.

I started walking without know really where I was going. I just traveled up and down the sidewalk. I don't know how long I'd been walking when I stopped to take in my surroundings. I looked around but didn't recognize anything until my gaze fell upon a familiar brick house.

It was rectangular in shape with a giant neon sign above it that said FENTON WORKS in giant letters. This was Danny's house. Why had I turned up here? I'm sure Danny didn't want to see me even if he was home. I just wanted answers.

I stood on the sidewalk thinking about who or what could possibly give me an answer. My head snapped up when I came up with an idea.

I'll go see my dad.

I smiled at the thought. I hadn't gone to see him in a while and always found solace in talking to him. He wasn't too far from where I was currently. I knew the town pretty well and started walking in the direction I needed to go.

To my surprise, Danny's house wasn't far at all from Dad. I walked for about five minutes before coming to a wide field. There was a path laid in brick running through the field. I started my journey down the path taking the necessary turns I need to. Soon I came to my destination.

I stared and smiled at the gray stone in front of me. It was rectangular in shape with the words ANDREW P. BAXTER carved into the surface.

"Hi Dad."

I kneeled down in front of my dad's tombstone. There was a small jar in front of the stone filled with sunflowers. Dad always liked sunflowers. He always said that no matter how dark the times may seem, the sunflowers always proved that the sun will always be shining. It reminded me of when I was kid about 7 years old...

***Flashback***

_I was at the park with my dad. He was sitting on a bench and I was climbing around the monkey bars. I was laughing and enjoying the time I was having. I glanced over to where he was sitting and called out to him. "Hey Dad! Look at me!"_

_He looked over to me and smiled. "Lookin' great kiddo."_

_My smiled widened at his praise and went to reach for the next bar, but missed it. I fell from the bars and onto the sand. Due to the way I landed, my knee scraped across the sand creating several small cuts in my skin. I sat up and held my knee to my chest and felt tears well up in my eyes at the pain._

_My dad came running as I started sobbing. He grabbed me and placed me in in his lap as he sat down on the sand. "Shh. It's ok, Dash," he comforted while he stroked my hair. "Let me see it, Kiddo."_

_I stopped sobbing but the tears kept flowing. I sniffed and looked up at him. Hesitantly, I removed my hands from my knee for him to see. He smiled a little when he saw my knee. He lifted his hand to brush away the excess sand from the wound and I winced as he touched the sensitive skin. "It's just a scratch, nothing we Baxter's can't handle. Look, it's not even bleeding."_

_I did look, and just as he said, it wasn't bleeding. It was just a little red. He wiped a tear from my face. "Thanks daddy."_

_He smiled and placed me on the on the ground so I was standing. He stood up after me and looked down at me. He held out his hand. "Let's take a walk." I took his large hand in my small one and we walked away from the sand. _

_It wasn't long before we reached a small garden that was kept by the community. We passed by various flowers until we came to a bundle of sunflowers. My dad dropped my hand and bent down to pick a single flower from its stem. He turned on his foot and faced my, still kneeling. _

_"Dash, can you tell me what this is?" He held it in front of my face._

_"Yeah, that's a sunflower. What's so important about it?" I asked, a confused look on my face._

_He let out a small chuckle. "You know about rainbows?"_

_I was even more confused. "Of course I know about rainbows. I don't see what this has to do with sunflowers."_

_He smiled again and offered me the flower. I took it and he placed his hands on my shoulders. "What creates a rainbow?"_

_I was very confused as to what his point was. Still, I tried to answer his vague question. "The rain?"_

_His smile didn't falter but he shook his head. "Close, son. The Sun is what creates the rainbow, but only after the rain falls. Look at the sunflower."_

_I did and stared at it deep in thought. I stared at it for a few moments before I looked at my dad again, a blank look on my face._

_He took one of his of my shoulder and placed it above mine on the stem of the flower. "The Sun creates rainbows and the sunflower is a reminder that after the storm clears, we always find happiness. The Sun shows its happiness by giving us rainbows."_

_My eyes widened at his words he laughed quietly at my reaction and stood back up taking my hand in his own. "Come on, let's head home. Mommy is probably missing us."_

_I stood still just looking at the flower in my hand. I tugged on his hand and he looked down at me giving me his attention. "Dad, can I keep the sunflower?"_

_He reached around with his other hand and ruffled my hair, making me look up. "Sure, Dash."_

***End flashback***

I smiled at the memory and turned back to the stone. "We had some good times didn't we Dad?" I knew he wouldn't answer me, but I also knew that he would listen. "Dad I've got a problem, and have no idea what to do." I took in a deep breath.

"Dad, I think I might have feelings for someone and I think they feel the same way, but things aren't so great between us right now." I paused as if to give him time to answer, but as I expected, no answer came.

I brought my knees to my chest and hid my head between them. "This would really be a great time for your words of wisdom, Dad." I sat in silence trying to imagine what he'd say. I'd imagine he'd say something like 'Before you say something that will affect another, you must sort out your thoughts and feelings carefully.'

I smiled to myself. He was right. Even if he couldn't speak, he told me what I needed to hear. I had to tear down the mental wall that was keeping me from admitting the truth to myself. And once it was torn down, I finally said out loud the words that had been eating away at me for days now.

"Dad, I have feelings, romantic ones, for a boy named Danny Fenton." I imagined my dad smiling at my words and my confidence in saying them. I knew he would accept me no matter what and that made me so happy. I stared up at the sky and felt a tear try to break free from its prison in my eye. I let it fall and as it fell, the corners of my mouth pulled up.

"And I know he feels the same way. We're just in the middle of a misunderstanding right now." A slight breeze picked up and brushed past the flowers, shaking the petals. I smiled. I felt as if that was his answer. I stood up and I remembered his words from that day in the park again. 'After the storm clears, we find happiness.'

I placed one hand on his tombstone. "That's exactly right. Thanks for listening, Dad." My hand slipped away from the stone and I turned around. I started walking, determined to find Danny and let the storm clear.

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**A/N: I'm thinking that chapter 5 will be up the day after tomorrow. It would be very much appreciated if you would review. I would like to know what I need to work on for upcoming chapters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter 5! Here it is! Enjoy.**

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Chapter 5

Danny POV

"Danny. Danny, get up. You have to go to school today." It was my mom shaking my shoulder. I pulled the covers up over my head in protest. "Come on, Danny. I made you some breakfast." She walked away and left my room.

Slowly, I pulled the cover over my head and sat up. Ran my fingers through hair as I remembered the events from yesterday. I felt something inside me drop as the thoughts ran through my head. I thought of ways to get my mom to let me stay home as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed.

Nothing came to mind and I let out a sigh. I looked down at my clothes and realized I had never changed out my tee shirt and shorts. I had only been able to take off my shoes before I went to sleep last night. I quickly changed my clothes and grabbed my backpack before leaving my room to go into the bathroom.

When, I looked in the mirror, I didn't like what I saw. My eyes were bloodshot from my crying last night and my hair looked like it hadn't been combed in a month. I rubbed my eyes to try and relieve them, but it only caused a little pain. I turned on the water and cupped some in my hands. I leaned over the sink and threw some in my face.

I held my hands to my face and and slowly looked up into the mirror. I blinked a few times and my eyes started to return to their normal color. I grabbed a towel and dried off my face and hands. Then I grabbed the comb that was by the sink and ran it through my hair, making it seem somewhat presentable.

I left the bathroom and trudged down the stairs into the kitchen. I saw Mom at the stove and Jazz at the table. Jazz was on break from college and decided to come back for that time. "Look who decided to get up." Jazz teased me but I just ignored her. I took a seat at the table and my mom put a plate in front of me. I thanked her and ate my breakfast rather fast.

"Pass yourself, little brother." I gave her a look and she immediately shut up. I was thankful because I really didn't feel like talking to her. After a few minutes Jazz stood up and took my plate with her. "Let's get you to school, Danny."

School. The very thing I didn't want to face is the very place I was about to go. I groaned and stood up very slowly following Jazz to her car. I didn't own a car, so normally, I walked to school, but having Jazz here to drive me in her car was nice. I got in the front seat and Jazz turned on the car. I was glad that she didn't speak to me the whole ride because I didn't want to talk.

Slowly we approached the school and I dreaded getting out. I actually sat in the car, completely still until Jazz shook my shoulder. "Hey, no lollygagging. You have class to get to."

I opened the door and stood up slowly. I walked the death walk to the front door, keeping my head down. As I walked, I heard small bits of the conversations they were having, but nothing completely coherent. I was sure they were talking about me. Dash probably had the whole school laughing at me by now.

I lifted my head enough to look around for Dash, the perpetrator, but to my surprise I didn't see him anywhere. So he could tell other people, but he couldn't face me himself? That bastard! I entered the school and waited for the horde to run me out of the school.

"Danny!" Here it comes. I braced myself for the impact. "Danny, are you ok? You look like you have a pinecone in your throat." I cracked open one eye and looked at the speaker. It was Sam standing there, smiling. I glanced around. Everyone was walking by, ignoring me, as if they were totally ignorant to what happened last night. Was it possible that Dash hadn't said anything?

"Danny, what's up with you?" Sam shook me by the shoulder, making me look at her.

"Uhhh, yeah, Totally." I forced a smile. "Why wouldn't I be." She smiled back, and mine faded a little. This was still eating away at me. "Hey, Sam, you wouldn't have happened to hear any... rumors about me or anything, have you?"

She made a confused look. "You are acting weird today." She put her hand to my forehead. "Did you get enough sleep? Are you drinking enough fluids?"

I managed a small laugh. "No Sam... Just," I sighed. "tell me, please."

She pulled away. "No, Danny. I haven't heard anything about you."

I was... shocked to say the least. Dash really hadn't said a word. I felt my mouth actually turn up in happiness. I was filled with so many different emotions, I couldn't pick one to express. I turned up at Sam and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Sam."

She looked very surprised when I pulled away. "Okay, what is your deal?"

"I'm just in a really great mood today." The bell rang and I was actually glad to hear it. "Well, I gotta get to class. You'd better do the same." I walked away waving a goodbye to her. I felt... rejuvenated. at least I had one more day to live like I was immune from everything.

I went through the whole day with a smile on my face. I didn't get crap from anyone. At lunch I looked around for Dash. I wanted to talk to him and ask why he didn't tell anyone and looked for him at lunch. I spent a lot of the time, but saw no sight of him again.

I wandered around to see if I could find him, but to no avail. I gave up my search when Sam and Tucker dragged me away to eat lunch and I let them, deciding to just deal with Dash during English class.

* * *

I walked into Mr. Lancer's classroom, taking a seat in the desk that I sat in yesterday. I watched the door intently, waiting for Dash to walk through the door. The thing is, he never did. The bell rang, signalling the beginning of class, and I continued to stare, willing Dash to come in Tardy.

He never did. Lancer decided to give us one more day to work in pairs and I turned to the empty desk across from me as if he was sitting there. He may not have let people know what happened, but he still didn't have the will to face me. I shook my head in disappointment. I should have expected as much from him.

What I did was uncalled for and Dash was probably just waiting for the perfect moment to totally humiliate me. My high was over and I crashed and burned. I continued the rest of the class, pretending to work, my mind a wide expanse of chaos.

It wasn't long before class was over and the bell rang, snapping me out of my stupor. I picked up my stuff and left the classroom. I walked over to my locker and opened it. Sam and Tucker showed up. "Hey." Sam offered a greeting.

I shrugged and didn't look at them. They obviously noticed my distress. "Hey, what's up Danny?" Tucker asked.

"I'm just tired." It was the only excuse I could offer. I continued to rummage around in my locker, letting the two of my friends continue their conversation.

"Hey, Danny, you wanna go to the Nasty Burger later?" I wanted to go with them and enjoy myself again, like I had the rest of the day, but I couldn't

"Sorry guys. I think I'm just gonna go home." I shot them a happy face but they seemed disappointed. Still, they didn't press it any further.

"Alright, if you insist. We'll see you around." Tucker and Sam left me there to go enjoy the rest of their day. I closed my locker and swung my backpack over my shoulder. I was about to take a step away from it when I felt a vibration in my pocket.

What now? I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone seeing that I had a text message. I opened it and saw that it was from …

Dash.

I was intrigued. I opened it up and it read 'Can you come over to my house after school?' That was it. It was probably Dash wanting me to account for what I did. That's what my brain told me... but not my heart. My heart raced at this chance. It told me that I should take this chance to explain to Dash what I did and why. Maybe he could forgive me, even if he never wanted to speak to me again.

I put my phone in my pocket and made a decision. I would take one more chance. One more chance in which I would tell Dash everything. I started walking away and headed out of the door of the school. I don't know why, but I found myself smiling, practically beaming.

I rushed over to Dash's house as fast as I could. I turned onto his driveway and stopped. I was incredibly nervous. What did he have to say to me? There were a lot of possibilities as to what could happen when I walked through that door.

Many thoughts raced through my head, but I decided to just let them be. I stepped up to the front door and my hand hovered over the doorbell for a moment before I finally pushed the button... and waited.

It wasn't long before the door opened revealing Dash. He grinned at me. "I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show up." There was silence for a moment before he moved aside. "Come in, please." He gestured to his house and I did s he asked.

I took off my shoes as soon as I entered the house remembering what Mrs. Baxter asked of me last time. "You can go up to my room. I'll be there in a minute."

I gave him a nod and walked up the stairs. I opened the door I remembered Dash opening last time... and the door I ran out of last time. When I entered the room I sat down at his desk. The books I had left here last night were in order there. The sight made me smile. I sat down.

I waited for a few seconds before I heard the door open and Dash walked in. "Hey, Danny." Danny. He never called me that before. And it sounded pleasant. He sat down on the bed across from the desk and looked at me. "Danny, we need to talk... about last night..."

He trailed off and I just snapped. I stood up and immediately started to ramble. "Dash. I'm really sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I truly regret it. After I saw that look on your face, I knew I made the wrong move. You looked liked you wanted me out of your life and just gone, so that's what I did. I just ran because I couldn't say another word to you, I was terrified. I... I..." I stumbled on my words for a minute.

Dash took this chance to stand up and try to say something. "Danny-"

I got my bearings back again. "It was a mistake. And if you want, I'll... I'll do the whole project by myself and you can still take half the credit. I'll do anything you want, I'll even stop talking to you. You'll never hear another word from me-"

"Danny, I-"

But I didn't let him finish. "It's just that I've liked you for so long and when I saw you like that," I felt tears start to well up in my eyes, "I just didn't think. I just acted and maybe I made the wrong choice. If you saw it as a disgusting act, I would never forgive myself. You have every right to-"

"Danny!" Dash grabbed my face, both his hands on my cheeks pulling my face to his, making me stop talking. I tried to speak but I just stood there looking up into his beautiful eyes. He had a smile on his face.

"Shut up."

That was all he said before he pulled his face down to mine in a kiss. I was shocked, surprised, relieved, all the feelings I could possibly feel at this point ran through my body. I lifted my hands to his head, locking my fingers in his hair. I pulled him closer in attempt to deepen the kiss.

For a minute I was in utter bliss, and then it hit me. Dash was kissing me. Dash Baxter. The bully. He and I were joined together in one of the most simple yet meaningful ways. I never wanted it to end, but, unfortunately, the both of us needed air.

He pulled away, keeping my face in his hands and just looked at me. He looked so happy, happier than I'd even seen him before. I just stared at him. I didn't know how to react. One of his hands lifted from my face to lift a finger to my eyes and lifted a tear from my face.

"Don't cry. It's very flattering for you." I laughed at his joke and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"So, what does this mean?" I stared at him waiting for his answer. He waited for a moment before wrapping his arms around my waist.

"This means," he paused for a moment, taking my chin in his hand, turning my head up, "that the storm has cleared."

After he finished speaking, he pulled my head up for another kiss. I had no idea what he meant by what he said, but at the moment, I didn't care. I just accepted that Dash didn't hate me, and, for a moment, I could just be happy.

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**A/N: Review please. It makes me happy. I hope you guys are liking the story so far. I don't know how long it's going to be, but I do have a few things in mind. Anyway, until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Chapter 6! Thank you allso much who have reviewed! Some of them make me laugh**

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Chapter6

Dash POV

Kissing Danny... Oh, there was no way to describe it. Words like amazing and incredible went through my head, but those words weren't accurate. I tightened my grip on his waist and picked him up. His legs wrapped around my waist and he pulled my head closer.

Eventually, we needed to pull away for air again and he just looked down at me, those beautiful blue eyes shining. "Oh, Dash..." He smiled and trailed off. He moved his arms to pat my shoulders, signaling to let me to put him down. I complied but kept my arms around his waist.

He laid his arms on my chest and hung his head. He let out a sigh that made me concerned. I lifted his chin so he was looking at me. "What's wrong, Danny?"

He was silent for a moment, his eyes averting my gaze. He let out one last sigh before looking back at me. "I just don't understand. What's up with you?"

I was a little taken aback. I released him from my grip and stepped back from him. I didn't know how to answer him. I sat down on the bed that was behind me and sighed. Danny jumped to apologize. "I'm sorry Dash." He sat down next to me. "It's just that all of this is so sudden and after last night, I was sure you'd never speak to me again."

I looked over at him and gave him a smile. I still wasn't sure what to tell him. Not able to think of anything, I decided to go with the truth. I reached over and took his hand, interlocking our fingers and smiled at him. "The truth?"

His gaze had been locked on our hands, but when I spoke, his gaze drifted up to my face and he nodded. I started the story. "Well, I guess it starts in the locker room." He had a confused look on his face so I decided to clarify. "I..."

It was difficult to find the words to describe that day. I took a deep breath and decided to just say it. "I caught you in the locker room on Friday." His eyes started to widen but he didn't say anything so I continued. "...on the floor. With my jacket over your face." I was hoping he would get the hint so I wouldn't have to say any more.

Thankfully he did, jumping up and he started rambling again. "Oh, God. You- you- saw me- Oh God. I thought you were at football practice. I was completely sure I was alone. I-"

I stopped listening to him. I just chuckled and stood up. He was saying something about my locker being open when I grabbed the hand he was gesturing with, pulling him to me. My other hand went to his waist and I leaned down to capture his mouth in another kiss, making him cease his talking.

I pulled away after a few moments and smiled at his surprised face. "You do talk too much. But you are cute when your embarrased."

He actually smiled, his blush fading. Then, his smile faded a little. "I don't get it. So, after... that, you..."

He stopped talking when I laughed quietly. "You didn't let me finish." He gave me his full attention. "After that, I had spent a lot of time... self reflecting. I was confused about my feelings and then when you kissed me yesterday, it made me realize something." I paused and sighed. "I may not be completely sure if this was the right move, but I am sure about how I feel about you."

He smiled, but didn't say anything. He just stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me into an embrace. "Thanks."

"For what?"

He pulled away. "Just... thanks." I smiled as a response. "So..." He took my hands in his. "Does this mean that we're... together?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know how to. I wanted to say yes, I really did, but I wasn't sure if it would be right, but I did know he needed an answer. "There's a possibility." He frowned at my answer. "Why don't we... go on a date this weekend and see where that takes us." That made his smile return. "What do you think?"

"I think that sounds like a great idea." I leaned into kiss him again and he gladly accepted my kiss. Yes, the storm had cleared, and I could feel the rainbow about to shine.

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The rest of the week passed by really fast. Danny and I didn't talk much during school, and because of the playoffs coming up, Coach has been working us really hard so I didn't see much of him. However, we did text a lot.

Lancer decided to get on with the lesson, so there was no more in time class work on the poetry project. That was upsetting, but before I headed off to football practice, he'd sneak in when everyone else was on the field and give me a kiss.

I really wanted to just tell him that we were together, but I didn't want to jump into anything I wasn't ready to commit to. I couldn't wait for Saturday night to come. It felt as if it was never going to come, but it did.

I left my house at 6:00 to go pick up Danny. I didn't even have to get out of my car when I pulled up because he had no doubt been watching for me and came running as soon as the car stopped. He told his parents that we were working on our project, which was half true. We split up the work and we each did our half over the last few days.

He got in and smiled at me. "So where are we going?"

"Where would you like to go?"

He paused for a moment. "There's this new café downtown. Wanna go there?"

"Sure. Is this that 'Harriet's Café and Bakery' I've heard about at school?" It's supposed to be a very nice place from what I've heard?

"Yeah. You don't mind do you?"

"Of course not."I started up the car and drove downtown. Danny had to give directions because I hadn't been to the café before. I was surprised when I saw it. It was on of one large brick building. I parked the car across the street and we got out.

When we walked in, I immediately liked the atmosphere that the little place gave off. We were greeted by a young woman who had a large smile on her face. "Table for two?"

"Yes, thank you." Danny spoke up. I looked around the shop. there were various groups spread out. Some were studying, some were talking. I smiled when I saw a few couples. We were seated at a small round table with tall bar stools.

"My name is Harriet. What can you get you boys?"

I was intrigued by her name. "Harriet? Like from the sign?"

She beamed. "Yes. I was really happy when i actually got the shop opened. It's always been my dream."

"It's a very nice place. You do know how to run a business," Danny added.

"Why thank you. Now what can I get for you?" We both glanced down at the menu. It was full of a lot of things that sounded appealing.

"I'll take a chai tea." Danny gave his order first.

"I'll take the same." I trusted Danny's judgement.

"Two chai teas. Sounds good." She paused before adding. "And might I suggest a cinnamon roll? They are our best sellers. And couples tend to get them to share." She gave us a wink making Danny blush and me laugh. I reached over and grabbed his hand, giving him some reassurance.

"We'll take one."

"Coming right up. And by the way, you two are adorable." She walked away after that and I turned back to Danny.

"You don't have to be embarrassed. We're here on a date, that's it."

"Yeah, but what if someone from school sees us?" I understood his fears. Our school was full of ruthless students that would ruin both of us if something like this got out.

"Stop worrying Danny. It'll be ok." He smiled and we engaged in small talk for the next few minutes. We had been waiting for about 10 minutes when there was a sudden crash to be heard outside. Everyone rushed out to see what the commotion was about.

When we got out there was a ghost flying around causing terror. The amount of ghost attacks had gone down in the past few years, but they still happened.

"I am Technus! Master of all technology!" The ghost shouted. I wanted to get Danny and me away from this, but when I went to reach for him he was gone.

"Danny?" I did a full 360, but saw no sign of him. "Danny!" I was getting concerned. I stopped my search when a shout came from the ghost. I turned back and saw Danny Phantom fighting him. It brought a smile to my face to know he was still watching over Amity Park.

Still, I needed to find Danny. I stood where I was, looking around, for a minute before I felt myself be lifted off the ground. I saw that it was Danny Phantom who picked me up. He dropped my by somewhere else and then flew off. I looked back to where I'd come from and saw a dumpster laying exactly where I was standing.

Before long, Danny Phantom had defeated the ghost and things started settling down again. I was beginning to panic. Where was Danny? "Danny!" I called out again. I tried to move my feet but I felt myself being lifted again. Danny Phantom was carrying me again and we were flying very rapidly away from the café.

"No! No! Let me go!" We dropped down into an alley way and he did put me down. "Listen-" he started, but I didn't let him finish.

"You don't understand! Someone important to me is back there and I have to go find him, now please-!"

"Dash!" The phantom stood in front of me, preventing me from moving, but it didn't matter, because I stood still anyway. He knew my name? That was very surprising. "Please just listen."

I did still have the ability to speak. "No, I have to get back there. I don't know what's happened to him and I have to find him right now!" I pushed him aside and started walking when he shouted at me.

"Dash, I'm right here!" That made me stop. I turned around and looked at the ghost.

"What?" was all I could say. He opened and closed his mouth as if to answer, but he said nothing. "I don't have time for this. What do you mean?"

He didn't say anything for a minute. "Just... watch." He stood still and suddenly two white rings floated over his body and his ghost jumpsuit disappeared and his white hair turned black. I blinked at the tranformation with my mouth agape. "It's me Dash. Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom."

"Da...Danny?" I walked over to him. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah." I was shocked to say the least. Danny was Amity Park's ghost fighter. I couldn't believe it, but it made sense. Fenton... Phantom. How did I not realize it before? "You're mad aren't you? Because I didn't tell you?"

I was appalled that he would think that. I ran forward and grabbed his shoulders. "Are you crazy? My boyfriend is a superhero! Why on Earth would I be upset?"

Danny didn't say anything, just stood there his eyes wide. Then he smiled and walked forward and wrapped his arms around my neck. "Boyfriend? So it's official?"

I guess I was too in the moment to notice what I was saying. I was motionless for a moment but then I let myself smile and returned Danny's embrace. "Yeah. What do you say?"

"I say," he paused to press a kiss to my lips. "took you long enough." Then he kissed me again and I tightened my arms around his waist pulling him closer. But then a thought ran through my mind and I pushed him away. "What's wrong?"

"I kinda have to get my car. I don't want to explain to my mom why it's gone."

He seemed relieved. "Of course. We'll go right now." He turned back into a ghost and carried me back to my car. We got in and started driving. "So, are you going to take me home?"

I smiled. "Actually, I was thinking maybe you could spend the night because we've been working hard and it's going to take longer than we thought." I winked at him and he got the message.

"Sure. I'll call my parents." He did as he said he would and turned back to me once he got off the phone. "It's all good on my end. What about your mom?"

I wasn't worried. "My mom likes it when my friends come over. It won't be a problem."

We arrived at my house soon and we went in to see my mom on the couch, reading a book. "Dash, you're back. And Danny's with you?"

"Yeah. I was thinking he could spend the night." She smiled

"Of course. Just don't stay up too late."

"You got it mom." The two of us walked up the stairs to my room. I walked up to my dresser and opened the top drawer. I pulled out a pair of pajama pant and a shirt and handed them to Danny. "They're a bit big, but I hope they'll be fine."

He took them from me. "I'm sure they'll be perfect." He stood still for a second before saying, "Can you turn around? I'm gonna change."

I chuckled. "Sure Danny." I did as he asked and let him change.

"Okay. I'm changed." I turned around and nearly laughed at the sight. The pants fit fine, but the shirt was huge on his small frame. "Shut up, Dash. It's not that big."

"Yeah it is!" I was laughing by now. I couldn't speak and Danny came over and punched my shoulder. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

He smiled. "You're forgiven."

We stood there and looked at eachother for a moment before I broke the silence. "So, you can have the bed. I'll take the floor." He frowned at the suggestion.

He stepped closer and grabbed my hands. "Well, the bed is big enough. I'm sure we could both fit.

I liked the sound of the idea. "Alright, but just sleeping, okay?" He smiled.

"Of course, Dash. Although, I don't think it's me we need to worry about."

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing at all." He hugged me close and looked up. I leaned down to give him a kiss.

We spent the next couple hours messing around, playing board games and what not, before we decided to go to bed. It was awkward at first, but eventually, we were lying down. Danny was lying against my chest and my arm was draped around his waist.

It felt right, like if I was doing this with anyone else, it would be a crime. No one had ever made me feel this way, and it was a wonderful thing to feel.

"Good night, Dash."

His words made me smile. For right now, I felt truly happy. And nothing else mattered. I pressed a kiss to his head before lying down and getting comfortable.

"Good night, Danny."

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**A/N: I love to hear what you have to say, so review, please! I'll see you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Well, here's chapter 7! Enjoy. Review. Please :)**

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Chapter 7

Danny POV

About three weeks after our first date, and two weeks after we aced our poetry presentation,I found myself sitting in the bleachers with Sam and Tucker at the championship football game. We were tied just as the second half began. There were cheers roaring from our side of the stands as soon as the ball was hiked starting the third quarter.

Dash grabbed the ball and looked around for an open man. He saw a player down the field and threw the ball to him just before getting tackled. My stomach clenched at the sight, but once the whistle blew, he stood up, assuring me that he was okay.

Cheers were deafening as I looked down the field and saw that the person Dash had thrown the ball to had run nearly the whole field and now they were only ten yards from a touchdown. Dash was jogging down the field and his head turned to the stands. I couldn't be sure if he actually saw me, but I had a feeling he did.

"That was close. It's a good thing Dash has a good arm." I heard Sam offer a compliment to Dash. I was amused. She never said anything nice about Dash.

"What do you mean by that, Sam? Is there something going on between you and Dash?" Tucker spoke up and Sam started yelling as I started blushing.

"Of course not! I'm just saying that it's good for the team." I was so glad that neither of them saw me blush, although Sam looked about ready to rip Tucker's throat out.

Our stands were hushed as the players lined up at the yard line and Dash called out a few words and the ball was hiked. The world was silent for a moment as Dash threw the ball to another player and he stepped over the line into the endzone and everyone on our side stood up and cheered. We pulled ahead and stayed like that for most of the second half.

We kept ahead until the five minute mark. The other team managed to score a touchdown causing many jeers from us.

"Oh come on! That call was totally off!" Sam was screaming now.

"Sam, calm down. There's enough time for a comeback." It was funny to watch them argue.

"Sam, Tucker, you two are acting like a married couple." I laughed as I spoke.

"Danny!" The both said in unison.

"Hey, it was just a joke. Let it go." They looked at each other and, luckily, did let it go. They sat down at didn't say another word.

The clock ticked on and soon the clock was down to thirty seconds. I was starting to get really nervous. This game was important to Dash, and it meant a lot to me too. Everyone on our side, including me, was on their feet cheering on our team. Fortunately, the other team hadn't scored any more points, but neither had we.

The teams were in huddles discussing their next play. They broke and went to line up. Dash was staggering behind and he stood still for a moment and looked to the stands. His head was slightly moving from side to side before it stopped, looking in the direction of where I was sitting.

I froze for a minute before smiling. I gave the loudest cheer I could, looking right at him. I assume he liked the action because he turned and ran back to the line up with new found confidence.

He called out the play and the ball was hiked. He caught the ball and through it to the first open man he saw. At first. our side was very distraught at the decision. I heard shouts that he'd made the wrong decision, but I just watched.

The person he through it to, Kwan, caught the ball and ran. He was very fast and and took off running. He was dodging in and out of opposing players until he was out of the mess of players and shooting down the field. Those people who were booing just a moment before were shouting encouraging words as the boy ran.

The clock kept ticking until only a few seconds remained. Everyone stopped cheering, very concentrated on Kwan. My eyes darted back and forth between the clock and the runner, a lump forming in my throat.

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

And then the cheers erupted from our side as he ran over the goal line into the endzone scoring another a touchdown. We pulled up so we were tied again. It all came down to the field goal now.

They lined up to do the field goal and I saw the kicker with the coach and Dash, no doubt getting a pep talk. The coach smiled and sent him and Dash back to the field. Silence fell over the whole field as the kicker lined up with the ball.

The play started, and he ran up and kicked the ball, aimed at the goalpost. Everyone was still and the ball landed on the ground. Everyone's eyes went to the referee and he was still for a second before he held up both his arms signaling that they had scored the point.

Anything else that would have happened was blocked out by the wall of sound that started up from the bleachers. We had just won the championship game! I pulled Sam and Tucker into a hug and I guess it was a little too forceful.

"Danny! Calm down! It's just a game." Tucker clutched his rubs after I let go.

"More like just a win!" I was too excited. I looked down at the field and Dash was celebrating with the rest of the team. I was glad he was happy. He should be. He just won the championship game of his Senior year.

I left the stands with the rest of the audience, but snuck away to go wait outside the locker rooms. As player after player left the locker room, I waited for Dash to walk out the door, and when he did, I ran at him and pulled him aside, away from view of everyone else.

"You seem excited to see me." That was the first thing he said to me.

I punched him gently in the shoulder. "I'm always excited to see you. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, really?" He stepped closer and grabbed my waist. "And why would that be?" He had a huge smile plastered across his face.

I swung my arms around his neck. "Well, there was a football player staring at me between plays the whole game. And to be honest, he's quite attractive." I decided to humor him be continuing his joke.

"Oh, is that so? Who was he? For checking out my boyfriend, I'll find him." He caught on and his addition made me smile. "Was it that quarterback? He's always been a bit suspicious."

I smiled as he leaned down a little further. "How'd you guess?"

"I have my ways." we both chuckled and then he leaned down further and made us both stop chuckling when he kissed me. He pulled away from and smiled. "Why don't you spend the night at my house tonight?"

I liked the sound of the idea. "Sure. I just have to call my parents to make sure." He released his hold on me and I pulled out my cell phone, dialing my house. My mom was the one who answered.

"Hello. Fenton Works."

"Hey mom." I held back a laugh at her default answer.

"Oh, Danny! How was the game?"

"We won! It was pretty intense towards the end. We almost didn't win, but we pulled through."

"That's great! So what did you need?"

"I was wondering if I could spend the night at Dash's house."

"I see no reason why not. It's really great that you two are becoming good friends."

I was silent for a moment at her words. Yeah… friends. "Thanks mom. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have fun." She said goodbye and hung up. I turned back to Dash with a smile on my face.

"She said it was okay, just nothing too rambunctious." I winked at him and his face flushed causing me to laugh. "I'm kidding Dash. Don't take things so seriously all the time."

"Oh… yeah… I- I knew that. What are you talking about?" He avoided my gaze due to his embarrassment.

I smiled and stepped closer to him. "Whatever you say, Dash. You know best."

His embarrassment faded as he pulled me into a hug. "You're right about that." He leaned to kiss me and I wrapped my arms around his neck to accept it. I felt his tongue pressing against my bottom lip asking for access. I smiled against his mouth and gave his tongue access. It explored my mouth and I let my tongue go into his mouth doing the same thing.

He picked me up by my waist and put his hands under my thighs to support me. I swung my legs around his hips and pulled his head closer to mine. I didn't want to pull away, but when I felt blood pooling in my groin, I had no choice.

I pulled away from him and shot him a smile. I leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Keep it in your pants, Dash." He blushed and looked away. I gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Can you put me down now?"

He did as I asked and said, "We should get going. Everyone else is gone by now." It was true. The stadium was silent. It was nice to not have people screaming in your ear from every side.  
I took his hand in mine and intertwined our fingers and pulled him towards the parking lot.

"Danny! What if someone sees?"

"Dash, it's okay. It's like you said. Nobody is here. They all left." The worry slowly faded from his face as he let me walk with him, hand in hand, back to his car. He dropped my hand to walk around and get into the driver's seat.

I followed suit and got into the passenger's seat. I had just barely closed the door when my head was grabbed, turned around and pulled into a kiss. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Dash pulled away almost too quickly, making me frown. "What was that for?" He just smiled at me. "Dash?"

He shook his head in amusement. "You are too adorable Danny." That wasn't really an answer, but I didn't try any further.

He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. We hadn't been driving for long when Dash asked me an unexpected question. "What are you going to do for college?"

Of course I had, but I didn't expect Dash to ask me about it. "Well, I thought about engineering."

He seemed confused. "Didn't you want to be an Astronaut?"

"Yeah, but I figured that it was a long shot, so I decided that if I couldn't go into space, I could help design the shuttles that do take people to space."

"That's so cool, Danny." He sighed. "At least you can actually achieve your dream."

Now I was confused. "What do you mean Dash? What do you want to do?"

He was silent for a moment. "I want to be a veterinarian, but with my grades, there's no way I could make it into a good college."

I didn't think Dash was the type to love animals, but I guess everyone has surprises. "Don't say that Dash! You never know." I tried to be as reassuring as I could and he smiled at me.

"Thanks, Danny. I'll try to stay positive, but it's not looking too good for me."

I opened my mouth to say something else, but he pulled onto his street. He parked the car in the driveway and we made our way up to the front door. He unlocked it and we both stepped in. He turned on the light and was ambushed by a hug from his mom.

"Dash! Congratulations! That last play you made was amazing! I tried to find you after the game, but I was tired of having to deal with all the people."

Dash managed to pull away from her bear hug. "Thanks, Mom."

She then saw me. "Oh, Danny! How are you?" She walked over to me. "Are you spending the night?"

I smiled. "Yeah. If that's okay with you, of course."

"Absolutely! Any friend of Dash's is welcome here. And tomorrow, I'm making a huge breakfast to celebrate Dash's win. You two have fun." She turned, I assumed, to go to her room, leaving us alone.

Dash walked over and grabbed my hand, giving me a smile before he pulled me up the stairs. In a flash, the door opened, closed, and I was in the air pressed against Dash as he kissed me. I was surprised by his action, so I pulled away and smacked him lightly, causing Dash to get a disappointed look on his face. He put me down and held his face. I didn't hit him hard enough to cause pain, he was just surprised.

"What was that for?"

I smiled. "I couldn't kiss you." I stepped closer and took his hands. "That would be rewarding bad behavior." He rolled his eyes. "Now, I have to punish you." I smirked and used the grip I had on his hands to drag him to his bed. I pushed him into a sitting position and climbed onto his lap with my knees on the bed on either side of his legs.

"Danny-" He stopped taking when I pushed him down so he was on his back. His eyes were wide as I climbed onto all fours over him. I looked down at him for a moment before lowering myself for a kiss.

His hands wrapped around my neck, his fingers locking in my hair, pulling me closer. My tongue found its way into Dash's mouth and he reached his arms down from my head to my waist. They pulled the hem of my shirt back a little bit to run his hands under the fabric over my back.

I felt him tug at my shirt and I sat up to take it off. While we were separated he used the chance to rid himself of his shirt as well. I threw mine to the floor next to where his landed. His hand rested against my hip bones and he held me there.

"If this is how you're going to punish me, then maybe I should be bad more often." He smirked.

I opened my mouth to say something but then I felt fabric beneath my chest. I blinked and realized that Dash had me pinned by my arms with my chest to the mattress. He leaned down and nibbled my ear and whispered. "And after this, you'll have to punish me some more." My heart raced at his words with the adrenaline rush.

His mouth attached itself to my neck and made its way down my back. His hands ran down my sides, stopping at my hips. He dragged his tongue between my shoulder blades, making me shiver. He raised himself up a little and used the grip on my hips to flip me over.

My eyes widened at his smirk. He lowered himself down to straddle me, his hips grinding against mine. He brought his face down and kissed my neck. He licked at the juncture of my neck and shoulder before sucking at the skin, no doubt creating a mark. I moaned at the action.

He detached his mouth from my neck and drew his lips down my chest, between my pecs and placed a small kiss there. He moved his head and licked at my right nipple, eliciting another moan from me. Then, he nipped at it, causing me to gasp and grab and wrap my arms around his neck.

When my death grip loosened a little, Dash lifted his head and moved it next to my ear. "If you liked that, you'll love this." He bit at my earlobe and sat up. He ran his hands down my chest, slowing down as they ran over my pecs. They kept moving lower and lower, and I felt myself become concerned.

"Dash? What-?" But I was cut off by his mouth on mine.

"Shh. Trust me." I did for a minute. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But that stopped when his hands ran over the front of my jeans. He pushed a little too hard for comfort on my groin and my back arched.

"Dash..." I wasn't liking where this was going. "Dash, I..."

"Don't worry, Danny." His hands raised up a little to the waistline of my jeans and undid the button and pulled down the zipper.

"Dash." His hand found its way under the fabric and I found it hard to hold back. "Stop." I was getting really worried now. His hand started to lower the elastic of my boxers and I lashed out. "Dash, no!" I used what little strength I had to throw Dash off of my waist and jump off the bed and stand in the corner.

I hid my face in the wall and felt tears well up in my eyes. I held my shoulders when they shuddered because of the tears that started flowing. "Danny?" I didn't answer him. I don't know why I stopped him. He was only going to do what he thought I would enjoy.

I felt arms wrap themselves protectively around my waist. Dash hid his face in my neck. "Danny?"

I turned around very fast in his arms and hid my face in his chest, letting tears flow from my eyes and sobs escaped my mouth. "Dash. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that. I-"

He pulled my head up and kissed me, causing me to be silent. When he pulled away he said, "You are not the one who should be apologizing."

"But... but-"

"No. It was my fault. You were uncomfortable with what I was doing. I should have listened to you."

"I'm sorry, Dash. I really want to do that with you. It's just..." I trailed off and sighed.

"You're not ready." I nodded. "Well," he smiled. "Then I will wait until you are."

I looked up at him as his wiped the tears from my face. "Thanks Dash." I stood up on my toes and kissed him. "It really means a lot to me."

He hugged me close. "I'll do anything for you, Danny. Remember that." I nodded into his neck and we pulled away. "Will you still sleep with me? I do mean just sleep."

"How could I refuse?" We kissed again before we changed our clothes to pajamas. Dash got settled on the bed first and then I followed him, laying down with my back to his chest. Dash's arms wrapped around my waist. He kissed my head before he snuggled his head in my neck.

I smiled at the action. I closed my eyes and let myself fall asleep in Dash's arms.

* * *

**A/N: My summer is almost over! Ahhhhh! I'll try to get this done before school starts, but I'm not sure if I can make it happen. If I can't updates won't be as often, but I promise you this, I WILL finish this story. It will not end up like one of those half finished stories in the archives.**


	8. Chapter 8

Dash POV

The following Monday, I went by Danny's house to pick him up for school. I didn't have to wait long for him to get in the car. When he did get in, he pulled me in for a kiss which I happily accepted. It was a short kiss, but it was still nice.

"Someone's in a good mood," I said as I started up the car.

"Well it's been a few days since I last saw you." He smiled at me as he put on his seatbelt.

I rolled my eyes. "You say me on Saturday."

"Which was too long ago if you ask me." I laughed at his comment.

We engaged in small talk on the way to school, but it wasn't long before we arrived in the parking lot. I parked the car, undid my seatbelt, and grabbed Danny's head and placed a small kiss to his lips. "Have a good day, Danny."

His eyes shined then he kissed me again before he spoke again. "I will." Then he got out of the car. I followed him. When I got out, I saw Kwan and walked up to him.

"Hey man. Great win on Friday, huh?" He said to me as I approached.

"Definitely." I started walking with him to the school.

"So, you and Danny have become pretty good friends lately." I held back my blush and looked at him.

"Yeah, I guess. Ever since that English project, we kinda clicked and started hanging out." I was hoping he wouldn't get suspicious.

"That's great man. I mean, I'm sure you could have bullied him for the rest of his life," I winced at his words. "but it's good that you decided to make a new friend." My eyes caught the sight of Danny with his friends and I felt better. "Dash?"

I realized that Kwan was talking to me. "Oh, umm... I'm sorry, what?"

He chuckled. "I was asking if you wanted to hang out with me at my house after school today. Football's over and all so now we have some free time. You can invite your new best friend." He smiled at his last sentence.

I punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Come on Kwan. You'll alway be my best friend."

He smiled. "So what do you say?"

"Sure, man. I'll talk to Danny." The bell rang then. "Well I'll see you later during lunch."

"Yeah. I'll see you then." I walked away from him and towards my first class. Math wasn't very exciting, and neither was P.E. It was nice to see Danny in the locker room, though. We managed to sneak a kiss in the bathroom. Danny didn't have the same P.E teacher as me but it was nice to see him.

He went out to go to lunch as I changed and then I remembered that I had forgotten to ask him if he wanted to hang out. I got dressed quickly and headed for the door when coach stopped me. "Hey, Dash come back here."

I froze where I stood and turned slowly around. I was afraid she was going to yell at me. "Yes, Coach."

She stood there for a moment before smiling. "Come here Dash, you great quarterback!" She stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. She patted my back and pulled away. "I have to be honest. I thought that last throw you made was going to lose us the game, but you pulled through."

"Thanks Coach." It was exciting. She never got excited about a single player's performance.

"Yes. and that's why I would like you to come by my office during fourth period. I have a surprise for you." I was confused by what she was suggesting, but I agreed.

"Sure, Coach. Whatever you say."

"Oh, but you will need a pass. I'll write you one. Come with me." We walked into her office and she pulled out a pad of paper. "Who is your fourth period teacher?"

"Mr. Lancer."

She smiled as she wrote. "If he gives you any problems, tell him he'll report to me."

I took the note when she handed it to me. "Thanks." I left her office and walked to my locker. I put my backpack in along with the note and closed it. I walked down to the cafeteria and saw Danny ust outside.

"Hey, Danny!" I yelled and ran over to him. "Hey, I have a question."

"What's Dash doing here?" I groaned as I heard that goth girl speak.

"Sam, please. He's my friend." I smiled internally at his defence.

"Whatever. Danny, come on let's go eat." She walked away after that.

He turned to me and sighed. "Sorry. So what did you want to ask me?"

I didn't want to keep him long. "Can I talk to you after school?"

He seemed surprised at the question. "Well, sure. Locker room?" He smirked.

I laughed at that. "Of course." Sam appeared back in the doorway and yelled for Danny. "Go. Have fun."

"Bye Dash, I'll see you later."

I watched him walk away with Sam and I entered the cafeteria. I sat down next to Kwan. "Hey, what took you so long?"

"Coach wanted to talk to me. I'm supposed to go talk to her during fourth."

"Good, luck man." He obviously thought it was going to be bad, but I wasn't too worried. What I was really looking forward to was talking to Danny after school.

Soon, lunch was over and I found myself in physics. It wasn't very exciting and took too long to finish. As soon as the bell rang, I left the room and went to my locker. I grabbed the note and left my backpack in the space. I went to Lancer's office and went up to his desk.

"Yes, Mr. Baxter? Can I help you?"

I handed him the note. "I'm supposed to go talk to Coach Tetslaff now. I don't know how long it's going to take."

He didn't answer at first, but he handed me back the note. "So be it. You will just have to make up any classwork you miss."

"Don't worry I will." I started to leave when I caught Danny's eye. He gave me a confused look but I just gave him a wave, hoping he'd get the message. He smiled at me, so I assumed he did. I left the classroom and made my way to Coach's office.

I entered and saw that she wasn't the only person in her her office. There was also a man in a nice suit sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of her desk. "Oh, Dash. There you are. Please, sit down."

I sat down next to the man in the other chair, a confused look on my face. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself." He turned towards me and offered his hand. "My name is Bruce Jackson. I'm a football scout from Colorado State University." I took his hand in amazement.

"CSU! That's the school I've wanted to go to for years!" I looked back at Coach, who was smiling and looked like she about to burst from excitement. "Coach?"

She leaned forward, about to answer when Mr. Jackson cut her off. "Allow me." He sat forward in his chair and turned to me. "Mr. Baxter, or may call you Dash?" He paused for a moment looking for my answer. I nodded and he continued. "Dash, Ms. Tetslaff gave me a call and invited me to come watch the championship game last Friday."

I figured he was going to give me a talking to about that last play I made. "Listen, Mr. Jackson, I-"

"Please, call me Bruce." He cut me off. "And if you were going to try and explain that last play, don't bother." A lump formed in my throat. Here it comes. He was going to say that it wasn't the smartest move to make. "I thought it was brilliant."

My head snapped up and looked at him. "Wh- really?" I was ecstatic.

"In most cases, the move you made would have been a failure. There were a lot of factors that good have caused it to backfire. but you picked the exact right time to take that chance. Now, I've been talking to your Coach here who has been telling about what you've been doing on the football team for the last four years. A permanent spot on Varsity, freshman year and quarterback by sophomore year. Not to mention a championship win under your time as quarterback. And after watching you in action for that championship game, I must say... I'm impressed."

I was honored by his words. "That means so much Mr- Bruce." I smiled and held my shoulders back.

"And because of your impressive record, I am offering you a full-ride scholarship to play on the Football team at CSU."

My eyes widened, followed by my smile. I was so excited that I actually jumped up. "I... I- that's so great! I... I am just at a loss for words right now."

Bruce chuckled and stood up. "How about, 'I'll consider it'?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, I'll consider it. Believe me, I want to say yes, but I do have to talk to my mom first."

"Oh, and Ms. Tetslaff has been telling me that you aspire to be a Veterinarian. I believe you'll find yourself well suited in our program. I don't know much about it myself, but I'm sure the professors would be glad to tell you all about it." He smiled.

I stumbled on my words again, but found my footing. "Yes. That's true."

He offered his hand, which held his business card. I took it. "Give me a call after you talk to your mother. I await your decision." I shook his hand. "And I would like to tell you that the other player involved in the play will also be offered a scholarship. It takes great trust in your quarterback and attention to what's going on around you to finish out a play like that."

"Kwan! That's amazing!" This was a great moment in my life right now. The fact that I could be going to CSU with Kwan was amazing.

"Just do me a favor and don't spoil the surprise. I'd like to tell him myself tomorrow."

"Sure. No problem." he said a last goodbye before leaving Coach's office. I sat back down in my chair, processing what I had just taken part of. I looked up at Coach. "I don't know what to say. I don't think 'thank you' is enough."

She smiled. "It's plenty."

There was silence for a moment. "So, you told him I want to become a vet?" Coach was the only other person I had told that to, besides my mom and Danny."

"Yes. And I figured you had a very good chance at getting the football scholarship to one of the best veterinarian colleges in the nation."

"Honestly, you do too much for me. Coach. Thank you so much. My mom is going to be so happy." I actually ran around to where she was standing and pulled her up into a hug.

"Okay Dash. You've thanked me enough." The bell rang then, signaling the end of school. She pulled away. "Alright, why don't you go enjoy the rest of your day? After all, you don't have football practice any more."

I smiled. "Yeah, Sure. Whatever you say." I walked calmly out of her office, but once I was out the door, I started to speed walk back to my locker to get my stuff. Once that had happened, I practically ran to the locker room to meet Danny.

I walked in and saw that he was already there in the empty room. I smiled widely seeing him and ran up to him, picking him up and spinning him around. Keeping him in the air, I pressed a kiss to his lips. My right hand went behind his head to hold his lips to mine while my left hand supported his waist. His arms wrapped around my neck, seeming to be enjoying the kiss.

I put him down after a few minutes. He gasped for air after the surprise kiss, his hands still on my shoulders. "Wow. That was... unexpected. What's got in you in such a good mood?"

I pulled him closer by the waist. "So, I can't just be excited to see my boyfriend?" I kissed him again

"I'm not saying that," kiss. "It's just that," kiss. "this is a little much," kiss. "even for you."

I held him closer for another kiss. I let my tongue push slightly at his lips and he let my tongue into his mouth. One of my hands trailed up to his cheek. We had to pull away for air and when we did, he said, "So earlier, you wanted to ask me something. What was it?"

I smiled. I'd tell him and Kwan later. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with Kwan and me? He invited us over to his house."

He seemed surprised. "Kwan? Really?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna meet him in a few minutes actually."

He was silent for a moment before he kissed me again. "Sure, I'd love to come."

"Great. Let's go find Kwan." We both left the locker room into the mostly empty hallways of the school. There were only a few people left, but not too many. We started walking down the hallway and when we turned the corner, I saw Kwan there. "Hey, Kwan!"

He turned around and saw us, walking up towards us. We started to walk out to the parking lot. "Hey, so Danny, are you going to come hang out with me and Dash?"

Danny smiled at him "Yeah. It sounds fun."

We had made our way to my car and Danny walked around to the passenger's seat.

"Great. Listen, I'll meet you at my house in a few minutes. I drove here and so did you so it wouldn't make sense to take the same car."

"See you then." I unlocked the car and we both got in. I started it up and followed Kwan back to his house. When we pulled up, he parked in the driveway and I pulled up in front of the house.

We got out and walked up to Kwan. "You guys are going to have so much fun. I just got a new videogame that you guys are just going to love."

"Oh you are going to have quite the time trying to beat me." Danny sounded confident.

"So it's a challenge. So be it." He unlocked the door and let us in. "Let's go downstairs."

I knew my way around Kwan's house, but Danny didn't. "This way, Danny." He followed me through the house and to the basement. Kwan had a large basement with a large three person couch facing the television. I sat down in the middle with Danny on my left while Kwan got the video game set up.

After he was done he handed each of us a controller. As he sat down next to me he said, "Get ready Danny. You don't know what you've got yourself into."

* * *

A few hours later, the three of us were laying back against the couch. We had been playing for a while when Kwan and I gave up after Danny was beating us badly.

Kwan set his controller on the coffee table. "God, Danny, you really meant it when you said I'd have quite the time trying to beat you."

Danny smiled in victory. "Yeah, well, I do know my way around a videogame."

There was silence for a moment before Kwan stood up. "So, I'm going to go get something to eat. You guys want anything?"

Kwan, being my best friend, was practically my brother. And with that relationship, we basically shared two houses. "Yeah. Could you make some popcorn?"

"Okay, give me fifteen minutes." He disappeared up the stairs, leaving Danny and me alone.

I let out a sigh and looked over at him. "What?" He said and I just smiled. "What is it?" He sat up and looked at me.

I reached out and grabbed his hand gently. "You know, Kwan's gone for now." He didn't say anything for a minute. I pulled his arm sharply toward me, catching him off guard, giving me the chance to pull him onto my lap.

"Dash, what are you-" I cut him off with a kiss. He seemed to want to accept, but pulled away. "Dash. Kwan could come back any minute."

I pulled him farther over my lap so that he was straddling me, his knees on either side of me. "Danny, he said fifteen minutes. In Kwan time, that means it'll be at least half an hour."

He put both his hands on my shoulder. 'Still, Dash..." he trailed off.

"Don't worry, Danny. Everything will be okay."

He looked away for a minute before looking back at me. He smiled then nodded. He relaxed his legs so his hips came down to mine His arms folded around my neck. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. He didn't waste any time using his tongue to enter my mouth as he pushed my jacket off of my arms.

I felt myself moan into the kiss and I let my hands find their way under his shirt and my fingers glided over his abdomen. I pulled the hem of his shirt up a little ways, exposing more skin. I pulled away from his mouth and attached it to his neck. I licked up the nape of his neck before placing kisses all over the skin, eliciting a moan from Danny.

I smiled at the noise and continued kissing his neck as I pulled up his shirt to his under arms, exposing his full torso. I lifted him up a little so that I could access his chest. I licked between his pecs like I knew he liked. As always, it caused him to shiver. My hands trailed up his sides, holding him in place.

My head darted to his left nipple and my tongue circled around it. Danny let out a stuttered breath as he arched his back, pushing his chest closer to my head. "Dash..." his voice was filled with anxiety.

I pulled him down and reattached my lips to his, our tongues immediately meeting. My hands that were on his sides, slid around to his front and brushed over the sensitive buds on his chest. He gasped into the kiss and I smiled, pinching them a little.

The action caused him to shudder and his hips to grind against mine. When I pinched him again, Danny pulled away from the kiss, throwing his head back and letting out a loud groan.

"Dash? Danny? What are you doing?" We immediately stopped and looked towards the stairs, seeing Kwan standing there. I looked back at Danny and realized that we had just been caught... with Danny straddling me... with his shirt pulled up exposing him... with my hands on his chest.

After processing that, I took my hands from his chest and pulled his shirt down, covering the skin again. Danny jumped off of my lap and back to where he was sitting, hiding behind me. I looked back at Kwan and smiled, still saying nothing.

"Dash. What exactly is going on?"

* * *

**A/N: Ooooo. What's gonna happen next? Well, that's for me to know, and for you to find out. Actually it's for me to write and for you to read, but, eh, details.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: :D Yay! Another chapter! I left you at a cliff hanger last time, so here's the continuation.**

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Chapter 9

Danny POV

"Dash? Danny? What are you doing?"

Dash stopped his assault of my chest and my eyes snapped open. We both looked towards the speaker. Kwan. My hands unfolded from behind Dash's head and his hands left my chest and he pulled my shirt down.

I managed to focus enough to get off of Dash's lap and land on the couch to his left and hid my face in his arm. My life was ruined. Kwan was no doubt going to tell other people at school.

"Dash. What exactly is going on?" Kwan spoke again and adrenaline rushed through me. I peeked around Dash and saw that Kwan had his arms crossed, awaiting an answer.

"Well, you see. I-" he looked at me hoping I'd give him something to say. "We were... we-" he sighed at looked at Kwan. "Kwan, sit down." As Kwan sat down next to Dash, the arm I was hiding behind wrapped around me and forced me into a position where I was facing Kwan. I avoided eye contact and let Dash do the talking.

"Kwan, Danny is my... boyfriend. We've been dating for almost a month." Kwan just sat there, taking in the information. "We haven't told anyone if it makes you feel better. We didn't want to deal with the other students."

Kwan still said nothing with his head hung, and I felt Dash tighten his grip as he leaned over. "It'll be okay, I promise." After he whispered that he kissed my head gently.

Dash looked back at Kwan who hadn't moved. Dash seemed like he couldn't think of anything else to say, but obviously something needed to be said. I decided to take a try. "Kwan, please say something."

Kwan didn't say anything, but he did look up and, to my surprise, he smiled. "You know, I was wondering why you two had suddenly grown so close."

I glanced over and saw that Dash's mouth formed itself into a smile and mine did the same. It was Dash who spoke. "So, you don't hate us?"

"Hate you? Dash, you're my best friend. Nothing is ever going to change that. And since Danny is your... boyfriend, that makes him my friend too."

"So... we're cool?"

He was silent for a moment. "Yeah we're cool. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

It was a great feeling to actually tell someone. It was even better that he understood. Dash sat up straight and beamed at Kwan. He turned to me and in a fit of joy, grabbed my head and pulled me into a kiss.

"Okay, guys. I said I was okay with it. That doesn't mean you can go all PDA in front of me."

I pulled away from Dash and turned to Kwan. "Sorry, Kwan. He's hard to control sometimes."

Kwan laughed at that. "Yeah, I completely understand."

"Well, speaking of good news, I have some pretty exciting news." Kwan and I looked at Dash. He was silent for a minute, just smiling before he spoke. "You guys know how I wasn't in English today, right?" We both agreed. "Well, I was in Coach's office and there was a man there from CSU." He gave us a moment to process what he'd said. "And long story short, I am getting a scholarship to CSU!"

"Dash, that's amazing." Kwan spoke up. I felt happy for him, but I also felt conflicted. It reminded me that in a few months, I'd be saying goodbye Dash, possibly forever. Still, I was happy for him.

I took his hand and intertwined our fingers. "That's really great to hear, Dash." Dash would be going to CSU next year. Wait. CSU. "Dash, isn't CSU one of the best veterinary schools in the country?"

He smiled at me. "It is. And that's why I'm so excited."

"Wait. Dash, you want to be a vet?" Kwan inquired. He obviously had never heard this before.

"Yeah. I've wanted to for a while."

Kwan beamed. "That's awesome. You know, I was thinking about engineering, myself."

I jumped up at the statement. "Really? I want to be a engineer!"

Kwan turned to me. "That's so cool! It's such a fascinating area." Dash gave him a look that made him stumble over his words. "And I'm sure that veterinary sciences is just as interesting."

"If anything, veterinary sciences is the most fascinating area of study."

"Is that so?" Kwan's tone was sarcastic. "As a vet, could you build the newest, most efficient, car or build a spaceship?"

Dash accepted the challenge. "As an engineer, will you get the gratitude from a person by saving their pet's life or the unconditional love from an animal that isn't prejudiced at all?"

I couldn't back any longer. I laughed at them.

Dash turned to me. "What's so funny?" He said it teasingly.

I was still laughing, but managed to calm down a little, enough to speak. "You two are arguing like a married couple." I continued laughing, even as Kwan spoke.

"Well, based on what I saw Dash about to do to you, it looked like you two were the married couple."

I stopped laughing immediately and felt my face go red. Still, I couldn't let Kwan win. I took a deep breath and spoke again. "And what, may I ask, did it look like Dash was about to do to me?"

I regretting my question as soon as he started to speak. "Well, honestly it looked like Dash was about to tear your clothes off and pound you into my couch, probably creating stains that I would have to clean." All the color drained from my face and Dash got a defensive look on his face. I hung my head. "Tell me, Dash, what is sex with Danny like?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted nothing to do with the rest of this conversation. I let go of Dash's hand and ran to the bathroom down the hall from where we were.

"Danny!" Dash called after me as he followed. I locked the door behind me. I sat down on the floor and felt tears well up in my eyes. Why did I feel this way every time sex was brought up? I convinced myself that I really just wasn't ready to talk about it, let alone engage in the act.

I hid my face in my knees as Dash knocked on the door. "Danny, open the door, please."

Soon his voice was joined by another voice, that I presumed to be Kwan's voice." I crawled up to the door and put my ear next to the wood to hear better.

"...something I said?" Kwan.

"No, Kwan. It's just... Danny's uncomfortable with sexual situations."

Silence.

"So you two haven't...?"

"No."

"Man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cross a line."

Kwan was very upset about what he said. It was comforting that he was trying to right his wrong. He was a lot like Dash behind that tough, jock exterior. Still, I was still devestated. I stood up and opened the door, Dash and Kwan looking at me. "Dash?"

He stepped forward and put his hands on my shoulders. "What is it Danny?"

I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face. "Hold me."

He didn't hesitate. he pulled me close to him whispering in my ear, gently. "I'll leave you two alone." Kwan left after saying that.

I grabbed his shirt in my hands and sobbed into the fabric. My knees went wobbly, but Dash caught me and gently sat us down on the floor against the wall, me in his lap. "Shh, Danny. Shh. He didn't mean any harm, He didn't know that this is how you get when something like this happens."

I sat up from his chest and looked at him. I had an idea of what he was going to say. "Dash. If you're going to break up with me just do it." I looked away from him.

His hands went up to my cheeks, pulling my face back to face him. "Danny, what are you talking about?"

"Well, you obviously want to have sex, but I won't let you, so just break up with me so you can find someone who-"

I was cut off by Dash's lips on mine. I was surprised. This was not the reaction I expected from him. When he pulled away he said, "Danny, I'm not going to break up with you."

"But, what about...?"

"Danny, a relationship isn't built on sex. I will wait until you are ready, and if that time never comes, then so be it. I just like being with you."

I smiled. Dash had so many surprises about him that made me feel so light-hearted. "Dash?"

"Yes?"

"Kiss me."

He laughed quietly and pulled my face to his in a kiss. It was such a nice feeling to know that he actually had feelings for me. I pulled away and he wiped my tears away, just like he had every other time I cried. "Thank you, Dash." I hid my face in his neck and his arms wrapped around my back.

"Danny, I said, I do anything for you and I meant it." We just sat like that for a while before Kwan appeared again.

"Hey guys, I hate to interupt, but I was wondering if you guys wanted to order pizza or something."

I sat up from Dash's lap. He looked at me, silently asking me what Kwan just had. I nodded slightly and Dash smiled. "Sure, Kwan. That sounds great."

We stood back up as Kwan spoke again. "Alright. I'll go make the call." He started to turn around, but stopped. "Hey, Danny, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't know you'd react this way."

I looked up at him and stepped toward him. "It's okay, Kwan. It wasn't your fault." I stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He was hesitant at first, but accepted it in the end. It was a short hug, but it was nice that I was connecting with Dash's best friend.

"Okay, I'll be back soon. I'm just going to go order the pizza. Hey, do you want to spend the night?" We didn't have school the next day, because thanksgiving was coming up. we had today, but the rest of the week off.

"Yeah, man. Of course."

I didn't want to be the third wheel. "Well, you two have fun. I'll just go home." I started to walk away, but Kwan stopped me.

"Danny, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I figured you and Dash would want to hang out."

"Well, yeah, he's my best friend, but I wouldn't kick out my best friend's boyfriend. That's not something friends do."

I smiled. "Really?" He nodded. "Thanks, Kwan."

"Yeah, no problem. You two go set up another game while I go make the order." He left us again and went to order the pizza.

After I called my mom, Dash and I set up another game on Kwan's TV and played until the pizza came. We played for a few more hours until the pizza was gone and we were exhausted.

"Hey, Kwan, what am I supposed to wear for pajamas?"

"Oh you can just wear your boxers. Besides, we're all guys here." I put my embarrassment behind me. He was right. "I'll be right back. I'm going to go get some blankets and pillows."

He walked up the stairs and Dash started to take off his clothes, leaving himself in just his red boxers. He looked over at me and smiled. "If you want, I'll undress you."

"No, Dash, that's okay," I said, taking off my shirt, followed by my jeans.

Dash sat down on the couch. He offered to let me lay against his chest and I accepted.

Kwan came back with some blankets but paused when he saw us. "Wow, I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that."

He threw a blanket over us and he sat down in a recliner chair. Dash wrapped his arms around my chest and pulled me closer. I pulled the blanket up over us more and I fell asleep in Dash's arms again.

* * *

**A/N: Hoped you liked it! Boys will be boys :) Hey, have any of you ever played Portal? Fantastic game! Go play it, right now! Ok, that's all. Bye bye.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: 10 chapters... 10 CHAPTERS! Wow, this is a lot longer than I thought it would be. But you all seem to be enjoying it so here it is!**

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Chapter 10

Dash POV

It's April now; a few month since Kwan found out about Danny and I. The following week after he found out, after thanksgiving break, Kwan was offered the scholarship to CSU as well. I had talked to my mom about it and Kwan talked to his parents about it as well. And we both decided that we'd accept the scholarships. We celebrated with Danny that weekend at 'Harriet's Bakery and Café.' Danny seemed a bit off that night, but didn't say anything when I asked him about it.

Kwan was very accepting and supportive. Today I was hanging out with Kwan. Danny would have been with us, but he was away with his family for the weekend. It was lonely to not have him here. I couldn't even text or call him because he was going camping, which basically meant, no technology of any kind.

Kwan and I were in his basement eating pizza after our last game. It's a strange feeling when the person you can tell anything to, do anything with and just hold is gone. We hadn't gone one weekend since we started dating without having a sleepover. Most of the time it was at my house, but we did manage to have a few at Danny's house. Kwan even invited us over a few times. Mostly, I just enjoyed holding Danny. And now, i have to go a whole weekend without him because his family took him out to the wilderness to celebrate his birthday.

I sat back on the couch and let out a long sigh. Kwan obvious noticed my distress. "Dash, you okay?"

I looked over at him at sat up, running my hands through my hair. "I'm just... thinking about Danny."

He chuckled. "Dash, you're acting like a teenage girl swooning over her crush." I smiled at his attempted humor.

"Yeah maybe you're right." I agreed with him, but I still didn't improve my mood.

Kwan sighed. "Dash, what's really the problem?"

I looked over at him again and paused before I actually told him. "Danny's birthday is coming up on Monday and I want to get him something, but I don't know what to get him."

"Ah, the old birthday gift situation. Well what does he like?" I was surprised that he was willing to help, but I was glad that he was.

"Well, he's always liked NASA. Maybe I could get him something space related."

Kwan stood up. "Perfect." He walked over to me pulling on my arm. "Come on, we're going to the mall. We're going to get Danny a birthday gift."

I stood up slowly. "What? Kwan, you don't have to take me to the mall."

"It's okay, I want to. Besides maybe I'll find something I want." I smiled. Oh, Kwan, he always found something to keep himself entertained.

I grabbed my jacket off the couch and slipped it on. "Sure. If you say so." We walked out to his truck and got in. He started up the engine and started driving.

"So, what do you think you'll get him?"

"I really don't know. I'm sure I'll find something that will suit him." It wasn't long before we made it to the mall. We walked into the building and were greeted by the loud noises of people going about their business at the mall.

We walked about and went into a few stores, but didn't find anything that would have suited Danny. We had been there for about an hour before we stopped for a break. We ordered some smoothies and sat down at a table.

"Kwan, there's nothing here. Maybe I'll just make him a card."

"Dash, no. You'll find something. Don't give up so so soon."

I opened my mouth to say something else, but I didn't get the chance. "Dash! Kwan! It's good to see you." I turned my head to the speaker and saw that it was Paulian with Starr. They sat down at the table with us. I didn't want to see Paulina. he had this big crush on me and was always flirting with me.

Without hesitation, Paulina started flirting me again. "So, Dash, Prom is coming up soon. Are you going to ask anyone." She had a point. Prom was a week from today, but there was no way I was going to ask her.

"Um, no, I don't think I'll be going to prom this year." It wasn't a complete lie. I wanted to go with Danny, but I don't think he'd want to go.

"What, but you have to. It's senior prom! And you've been nominated for prom king." She tried, yet again, to get me to ask her.

"Well, then I guess maybe prom will have to do without their king."

Paulina didn't say anything further. There was silence for a moment before someone else spoke. "To be honest, I'm surprised that you're not hanging out with Danny. You two have grown considerably close in the last few months." Starr spoke this time.

"Yeah. What's up with that? Danny's a total loser." I flinched at Paulina's words. Kwan caught it and tried to make the situations better.

"Well, that's a bit harsh. Danny's not all that bad."

"Are you kidding. He hangs around with that goth girl and that geek all the time." Starr stayed on Paulina's side.

Paulina turned to Starr. "You know, I bet Danny and that goth are secretly going out and that break up they had was just a cover up." My hand tightened around the styrofoam smoothie cup.

"Yeah. I bet they're going to get married right out of highschool and have a bunch of loser goth children."

They both laughed and Kwan tried again. "Come on guys. Stop bad mouthing Danny and his friends."

"Why are you so defensive about this, Kwan?" Starr teased. "Are you dating him or something?"

That was the last straw. the styrofoam gave way under my grip, the icy substance leaking out onto and over the edge of the table. It landed on Paulina's and Starr's laps. They jumped up and started lashing out at me.

"Dash, what the hell?" Starr was trying to wipe away the substance from her jeans.

I didn't say anything, and neither did Kwan. The two of them ran off to the bathroom to get themselves clean and the two of us burst out laughing.

"That's one way to get a girl to shut up." Kwan patted me on the shoulder.

"Hey," I leaned closer to him so I could talk in a lower voice. "No one bad mouths my boyfriend and gets away with it." I grabbed some napkins and cleaned up what smoothie was left on the table. Most of it landed on Paulina and Starr, so there wasn't much to clean up. "Best five dollars I ever spent."

We shared a laugh again and continued our search for a gift for Danny. We passed more stores before Kwan spoke up again. "Do you think Danny likes puzzles?" I stopped and looked over to the store he spoke of. It was a large game store. I decided to give it a chance.

We walked in and there were so many games everywhere. Kwan was immediately distracted by a marble and glass chess set on display. "Dash! Look at this. It's made of some kind of space rock." He leaned down close to it and observed it.

I walked over to him. "Kwan, you don't even know how to play chess."

"Well maybe it's time I learned how." His head snapped up, looking for an employee. He smiled when he found one. "Excuse me, how much does this chess set cost?"

"Ah, that is a fine chess set. It is priced at seven-hundred dollars." I stifled a laugh as Kwan just stared wide eyed.

"You know, maybe I'll learn how to play chess another day." I shook my head in amusement and then my eye caught something silver.

I walked over to a shelf and picked up a small box. It was made of a silver metal, shaped like a star. One half of the edge was lined with small black stones. concentrated in one corner, a set of lines, carved into the metal, started and spread out over the rest of the lid. It made it look like a shooting star was on the lid. The sides were made of smaller stars, both silver and black in color. They laced around the box, stacked on top of eachother. They went almost all the way around except in the front where two sides of the star were just plain silver.

I picked it up and held it, turning it over in my hands. I opened it and saw that it was empty, but on the underside of the lid there were two little triangles that, I assumed, were there to hold a picture. I smiled and turned back to the employee. "This. I want to give him this."

"That is a very nice box. I'm sure he will like it." She took it from me. "If you come up to the counter, I'll get this rung up for you." I followed her and Kwan stepped up beside me. Soon she had it rung up and I had it paid for. "Oh, and if you want, you can pay an extra five dollars, you can get it engraved." She picked it up and gestured to the part of the box on the side where it would be engraved.

"Yes, I would love to get it engraved." She handed me a piece of paper and a pen.

"Write what you'd like to have engraved on it and you can come pick it up in a few hours."

I thought it over for a moment before I thought of the perfect thing to write. I wrote it down and gave it back to the clerk. She looked at it and smiled. "Danny? Is Danny your brother?"

I smiled. "No, actually he's not. He's actually my boyfriend." It was nice to say that. It was strange how I was perfectly comfortable telling complete strangers about my relationship.

Her face lit up. "That's wonderful. I suppose you'll be asking him to prom then?"

The thought hadn't crossed my mind to actually ask Danny to prom, but the idea sounded lovely. "Yes, I suppose I will." I said a final goodbye to her before walking away with Kwan.

"Dash, you're going to ask Danny to prom? Do you know what our classmates are going to do to you guys once this goes public?"

I was completely aware of what might happen, and I'd probably get a beating from Paulina, but that didn't matter. "Frankly, Kwan, I don't care. People can say what they will, but that doesn't mean I have to listen. And, Danny, well, I'm proud to call him my boyfriend. And I just can't take the secrecy anymore. I want to hold his hand in the hallway at school. I want to walk him to class and give him a kiss goodbye. I want to sit with him at lunch." I paused for a moment. "I want to dance with him at prom. And if there are people who have a problem with that, then they can take it up with me."

Kwan just stood there looking at me. He was frozen for a moment before he moved and pulled me into a hug. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!" He pulled away and I can tell there were tears in his eyes.

"Kwan, buddy, are you crying?"

"No, no, I just-" he stopped. "Of course I'm crying. You care so much for him. He is so lucky to have someone like you in his life." Kwan's words almost brought tears to my eyes. "Don't worry. I'm here for you. If anyone wants to get to either you or Danny, they'll have to go through me first."

"Thanks, man. This is why I'm glad to have you as my best friend."

"Don't mention it. Hey let's go to the game store. I think video games sound very good right now." I smiled and followed him to the game store.

* * *

Kwan and I spent longer in the game store than we planned, but we did manage to get some more games. Kwan even found a NASA keychain that he decided to give to Danny for his birthday. I went by the shop to see if Danny's gift was ready to pick up. The girl from before greeted me and gave me his gift that was wrapped in a nice little box. "Danny is a lucky boy."

"Thank you." I took the box from her and let with Kwan. He drove us back to his house and offered to play some of our new video games, but I decided against it. I went home and decided to work on that jigsaw puzzle my mom gave me.

I walked in and set the box on the coffee table. My mom walked into the room then. 'Oh, hey Dash. Did you have fun with Kwan?"

She gave me a quick hug. "Yeah, I did."

Her gaze drifted to the box on the coffee table. She picked it up and smiled. "Did you get a birthday present for Danny?"

I was confused. How did she even know Danny's birthday? Still, she was my mother. She was very observant. "Yeah. Kwan and I went to the mall and found this."

She handed me the box. "Well I think it's wonderful that you have got your boyfriend a birthday gift."

I froze and I felt goosebumps rise up to my skin. Still, I kept my cool. "Danny? No, he's just a friend. We-" She gave me a disbelieving look and I sighed. "Yes. Danny's my boyfriend, but how did you know?"

She smiled. "I'm a mother, Dash. Mothers know everything." That sure was true. She glanced to the picture of Dad we kept on the wall. I did the same. "And I'm sure your father would have been very proud that you found someone that you care so much about. If only he was here to see this."

My mom was affected the most by my father's death. But she managed to live without him, however hard it must be for he. She turned back to me. "And I'm sure Danny is going to love going to prom with you."

She started to walk away as I spoke to her again. "Now you're just making lucky guesses." She turned back and smiled, but said nothing more. I took the box up to my room, having given up trying to talk to my mom.

I set the box on my headboard and sat down at my desk to continue the half finished jigsaw puzzle that lay there.

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**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! This story is drawing to a close soon :/ but thanks for celebrating this 10 chapters milestone with me!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Finally! Here it is! I'm sorry it took so long. I've been soo busy lately, and I apologize for that. School has started up again for me so if updates don't happen as often, I am sorry. I'm trying my best.**

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Danny POV

I trudged back to my bedroom on Sunday night after we got back from camping. I collapsed on my bed and turned on my cell phone. The time read 11:53. God, it was late. I wanted to give Dash a call, but it was too late now. Still, I found myself dialing his number and holding the phone to my ear. I should have just hung up and I was about to when after the third ring, I heard a voice.

"Hey! Danny! So you're back from camping?" He sounded surprisingly awake.

"Yeah. We just got back."

"Well I'm honored that I'm the first person you called when you got back." I smiled and blushed slightly.

"Well, you sound surprisingly awake. Have you been bed yet tonight?"

He took a moment to answer. "Well, actually I was working on a jigsaw puzzle that my mom gave me." I laughed at that. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with jigsaw puzzles."

"I'm sorry. You just don't seem like the puzzle type."

"Oh, I'm not. I've been at this for like, six hours and I've made little progress." I started laughing again at his trouble and he kept saying for me to stop laughing, but I didn't stop. As Dash's arguments stopped, I gradually calmed down. And then there was silence for a moment.

"Hey, Danny?"

"Yes, Dash?"

"Happy birthday."

I looked over at the clock and, sure enough, it read 12:01. I smiled and then my face was covered in a full on blush. "Thanks, Dash."

"Well, you're probably tired. You should get some sleep. We still have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right. And you should get some sleep, too."

"If you say so. I'll be by to pick you up in the morning. Good night, Danny."

"Good night, Dash." We both hung up and I put my phone on my nightstand. I changed into my pajamas and crawled into my bed. I pulled the covers up over my body and fell asleep with a smile on my face and Dash in my thoughts.

* * *

The next morning Dash arrived in his car just like he said he would. I said a quick goodbye to my mom before walking down to meet him. I got in the car and was met with Dash looking at me.

I got myself settled in the car, but Dash hadn't said or done anything. I looked over at him. "Dash?"

He smiled at me. "I've missed you."

"Dash. You talked me not eight hours ago."

He didn't respond with words. He just leaned towards me and pulled me into a kiss. I hadn't seen him in two days, let alone kissed him so this was very welcome. "Doesn't mean I can't miss you," he said when he pulled away.

He started up the car and drove towards the school. "So, did you do anything exciting over the past weekend?"

I glared at him after he asked the question. "I spent forty-eight hours in the wilderness being constantly thrashed up by weeds, sleeping on the ground, with no indoor plumbing. No, I did nothing exciting."

He seemed very sorry that he'd asked. "I'm sorry Danny. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Don't worry, Dash. Did you do anything exciting?"

"I hung out with Kwan a lot. Still, it was lonely without you."

I didn't say anything, but it was nice to be reminded that I had someone here that cared about me. Sure I had Sam and Tucker, but I wasn't as intimate with them as I am with Dash. It wasn't long before Dash had his car parked in the parking lot and we were walking across the asphalt.

"Dash! Danny!" It was Kwan who yelled to us. He run up to us to greet us. There was silence for a moment before Kwan looked at me. "Oh, Danny, here, give me a sec." He slipped his backpack off of one shoulder and swung it around to the front and he rummaged inside it. Soon he pulled out a small clump of paper. He but his backpack back on his shoulder. He offered the paper to me. "Happy birthday, Danny."

I took it from him with a smile. "Thanks, Kwan."

"Open it." I did as he asked and peeled back the wrapping paper. After I managed to unwrap it, I found myself looking at a nice NASA keychain.

I looked up at Kwan. "Thanks. It's really nice."

"Yeah, Dash told me you like NASA so when I saw that I thought of you."

"That's great Kwan, but you do know I'm taken right?"

He laughed quietly. "Don't worry, I understand."

The three of us walked into the school and were ambushed by prom advertisement. I did want to go to prom, I really did, but the only person I wanted to go with was Dash, and that seemed very unlikely. Soon, the bell rang and we each had to go to class. I said a goodbye to the two of them and headed off to first period.

My first two classes weren't exciting at all. I did have second period with Sam and Tucker, so that was a plus. Once the bell rang, the three of us left the room and headed to the cafeteria for lunch. On the way, we passed by countless prom posters which irked Sam.

"Ugh, prom is so conformist. It's just so lame that high school students find it worthy of their time to spend a whole bunch of money just to spend four hours in a sweaty stuffy room."

I decided to humor her. "So, I take it you're not going?"

"Oh, of course I'm going. It's senior prom." Tucker and I shot her confused looks. "What? Okay, I may be goth, but I'm still a girl."

"Whatever you say, Sam." We sat down at a table in the lunchroom and started to eat.

Sam and Tucker continued talking and I glanced over at where Dash and Kwan were sitting. They were bantering back and forth, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I did see Paulina being a little too touchy with Dash and it made my blood boil.

Sam asked me a question so I looked away from them and to my two friends. We had a short talk before a voice yelled through the room.

"Everyone, may I have your attention? There is an important announcement about to be made." The speaker was Kwan, who was standing on the bench of his lunch table. Everyone quieted down and looked at Kwan, even the cafeteria staff, and he continued his announcement. "If he would, I would like to ask Danny Fenton to stand up and walk to the middle of the cafeteria."

He looked at me and so did everyone else. Adrenaline rushed through me. What could Kwan possibly want with me? Sam punched me lightly in the arm, making me snap back to what was happening. I stood slowly and felt hundreds of pairs of eyes on me. I managed to get my legs working and did as Kwan asked.

I was worried. I know Kwan said he was my friend, but maybe he was put up to this by his friends of the football team. I couldn't help but feel that maybe he was setting me up to be embarrassed. Once I got to the center of the cafeteria, Kwan continued.

"Now, if it pleases the crowd, I will hand this off to my friend, Dash." He got off the bench as dash stood up. He walked up to me very slowly. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. No one said a word as Dash walked up to me. Soon he was right in front of me.

He pulled a small box from behind his back and held it in front of me. He finally broke the terrible silence. "Danny," He looked down at the box before looking up at me and smiling. He offered the box to me. "Happy birthday."

I took the box and held it for a minute before taking the lid off, exposing a beautiful star shaped box on a satin bed of fabric. I picked up the metal box and set the cardboard one on the floor.

"Now, Danny," Dash distracted me from observing the box any further. "I have two questions for you. My first question is will you read the engraving on the box?"

I looked between him and the box and nodded, turning the box until I found what he was looking for. It took moment for me to find my voice, but eventually I did. "'To Danny, you are my single shining star in this endless, dark universe. Love, Dash." I felt tears threaten to spill as my heart sped up. I looked up at him. "Dash..."

"Danny, it's been six months. The six greatest months of my life. You've given me new inspiration to reach my dreams. It's because of you that in the fall, I'll be attending CSU in the veterinary program. It's because of you that I found new purpose in life. Danny, I say this to everyone who will listen." He paused and looked around at everyone. I was so shocked, that I couldn't move, I couldn't even think.

"Danny, you've been my boyfriend for six months and I care a lot for you. It's our senior year, and I want to do something special with you. That's why I ask you..." He paused and stared directly into my eyes before continuing. "Danny, will you go to prom with me this weekend?"

The knots in my stomach untangled as soon as he asked the question. I looked around at everyone in the cafeteria, staring at me waiting for my answer. There was an unexpected look on their faces, but it wasn't bad. It looked almost like a mixture of shock and... acceptance. My heart rate slowed as I got the non-verbal okay from my peers.

I turned back to Dash and looked into his beautiful blue eyes... and smiled. "Yes. Dash, I will go to prom with you."

There was silence for a moment and before I knew it, Dash's face lit up and he grabbed me, lifting me up to him, kissing me very passionately. I melted into his hold and suddenly around us, applause erupted.

Dash let me go and I looked around. I saw everybody in the cafeteria on their feet and they were clapping for us. I was amazed that they were so accepting of this. Well, almost all of them.

"Dash, you son of a bitch! You are rejecting me for this, this loser?" Paulina walked very angrily up to us and lashed out at Dash. "You don't want to go with prom to me that much that you will pretend to be gay to get out of it?"

Kwan appeared out of nowhere and stood between her and us. "Hey, Paulina, if you want to say anything to Dash or Danny, you will be reporting to me. And that goes to the rest of you. If any of you have a problem with their relationship, not only will you answer to me, but you'll answer to Dash and most of the Casper High School football team."

The football team? Dash and Kwan told them and they are perfectly okay with it? Paulina tried to find words to say, but she couldn't find any. She let out a noise of frustration and stormed away, out of the cafeteria. Dash pulled me to his side and smiled at me. I looked down at the box in my hands and smiled, and I knew that everything would be okay.

* * *

That night I sat at the dinner table with my parents. We had a pleasurable conversation until my dad brought up an uncomfortable subject.

"So, Danny, prom is this weekend." I froze and stopped eating to look at him. "Do you think you'll ask anyone?"

"Uhhh..." I tried to sort out my thoughts, but I didn't know what to say. "Well, I..."

"What about that Sam girl? I know you guys broke up awhile ago, but you could still go to her with prom."

"That sounds wonderful, Danny! It would be so cute!" My mom was not helping.

"Actually I-"

"You are going to go to prom, right? You can't miss senior prom." My mom wouldn't let me get two words out. "We'll make all the arrangements. There will be a limo." Mom was starting to get on my nerves. "We'll get you a nice suit, we'll get some doves to fly out of the limo. It'll be a romantic night. Tomorrow you can ask Sam..." That was the last straw. I stood up and lashed at her.

"I'm not asking Sam to prom because my boyfriend already asked me? And I said yes!" Oh, God, what have I done? This is not how I wanted them to find out. Well there was no avoiding it now.

"Boyfriend? Danny, what's going on?" Both my parents stopped eating and set down their utensils.

I sat down and took a depth breath. "Mom, Dad... I'm gay." Wow it felt great to tell them that. "And I've had a boyfriend for the last six months."

They were silent for a moment before my dad said two words. "With who?"

I was hesitant at first. "...Dash." Both of them looked at me, their eyes wide. The tension between was growing by the second. None of us said anything for the longest time. I couldn't take it any more. "Please say something."

Dad was the one who moved first. He jumped up from the table and ran over to me and picked me up, pulling me into one of his bear hugs. When he put me down, he ruffled my hair. "Danny, you make me proud to call you my son." I was amazed. This was not how I expected them to react.

"So, you're not mad?"

"Mad?" My mom stood up. "Well, the only thing that's upsetting is that you kept this from us for so long, but, no we are not upset."

"In fact, Danny, I think it is very impressive that you are very comfortable with this and I'm very glad that you've seemed happier lately. I think that's probably because of Dash."

"You know I was wondering why him and Danny had become such close friends." Mom and I laughed at him and he just got a confused look on his face, which made us laugh even more. This had to be the best day of my life. It looked like life was finally giving me the upper hand.

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**A/N: Hoped you liked it :) I really don't know when the next chapter will be. I hope it's sooner rather than later.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Chapter 12! Without further ado... enjoy :)**

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Chapter 12

Dash POV

I walked down the street that day after school. To be honest, I really didn't expect that kind of reaction. And the football team was so supportive. It made me so happy that anyone, even the student body at Casper High, could bring a pleasant surprise.

My feet were taking me to my dad's grave. That thought brought a smile to my face as I clutched a little tighter on the sunflowers in my right hand. I went to see him when I just wanted someone to listen. Even when he was still alive, he was such a great listener. I was so close to him, and, sometimes, I just wanted to remind myself that he was still here, even if I could never see him again.

I continued walking down the sidewalk, a smile still on my face. I couldn't wait to tell him about what had happened today at school. I bet he'd be happy to know that I'd found someone taht made me so happy.

"Hey Dash!" Speaking of which...

Danny came running down from his house. I had almost forgotten that to get to his grave, I had to walk be Danny's house. Soon, he reached me and smiled. "What are you doing, Danny?"

"I wanted to go for a walk." He pauses for a moment. His eyes darted to the sunflowers I was holding and his smile faltered. "What are you doing."

I looked down at the flowers and looked back at him, decided to tell him the truth. "I'm going to see my dad."

He didn't speak for a while. He just stood there with a confused look on his face. Finally he spoke. "I didn't know your dad lived around here."

Danny hadn't heard that my father had died. It wasn't something I talked about often. "Well, not exac-"

I stopped speaking when his smile widened. "Could I come with you." After I didn't speak, he continued. "I mean, I just haven't met your dad yet. And I think it's been long enough."

I still didn't speak. I wasn't sure how he'd react to me telling him that he had died a few years ago. Maybe he'd hate me for not telling him. Maybe he'd give me more sympathy than I needed. It was a sensitive subject to talk about to my mom and I. Still, I found myself liking the idea of him coming along. Maybe he'd surprise me too. Besides, I think it was time I told him.

I reached out my left hand to take his. "Sure, let's go." He accepted my hand openly.

We began walking down the street and eventually turned the corner. We walked for a little longer before the brick path showed up. I pulled him onto it, my smile still in place. I kept glancing over at him to see his reaction. The longer we walked, the more his face began to change. He looked very sorry that he'd asked me to bring him here. Still I persevered.

It wasn't long before we were standing in front of a familiar gray stone. I dropped Danny's hand and knelt down on the grass. I hadn't been here since I started having feelings for Danny, so the jar was empty. I changed that and put the flowers in it. "Hi, Dad. I want you to meet someone."

I looked up to Danny and patted the ground next to me. He took the gesture and sat down next to me. "Dad, this is Danny. He's my boyfriend. He wanted to meet you, and I thought you'd want to meet him." I put my arm around his shoulders and he smiled. "It's been awhile, Dad. How are you doing?" I paused for a moment as if to give him time to answer. "I'm sure you're doing just fine. Well, Dad, prom is this weekend, and I asked Danny to go with me. The whole school is so accepting of our relationship. I'm sure it's gonna be a lot of fun."

Danny still had a terrified look on his face, but it had softened a little. I rubbed his shoulder a little and gave him a kiss on his head. "Dad, you've helped me through many tough times in my life. And I just wanted to thank you for everything. I wouldn't be with Danny right now if it hadn't been for you." I saw, out of the corner of my eye, that Danny's eyes snapped to me and he smiled. "I wanted to thank you, Dad. For everything. I just wanted to introduce you to Danny."

I smiled at Danny and took my arm back standing up. I started to walk away, assuming that Danny was right behind when I heard him speak.

"Mr. Baxter, you have an amazing son." I was amazed. Was he actually talking to my dad. "I know I've never met you before, but, just like Dash, I want to thank you. Ever since I met him, my life has changed, and now that he and I are together, I'm so happy. I've never been happier in my life. Whether it's for better or worse, he and I are here."

I was stunned. I tried to open my mouth, but no words came out. I felt my knees shake but I managed to stay standing. "You know, I believe that everything happens for a reason and Dash isn't just another person to me. He is my whole world. I was feeling very depressed until he came along and showed me that there is more to life."

I felt tears in my eyes as he spoke to my dad. It was almost as if he believed my dad hadn't really died and was sitting right in front of him. had it been any other person, I'm sure they just would have said "I'm sorry" and that would be the end. But Danny... He was different. Truly different from all the rest. Maybe this wasn't just a phase, maybe Danny is the one. Maybe...

Danny stood up and placed a hand on the gray stone. "Thank you, Mr. Baxter, for raising such an amazing son." He stepped away and turned to me. I just stood still. "Dash?"

His voice made me snap from my stupor and I smiled at him. I approached him quickly, picking him up and turning him around, pulling him in for a kiss. I held him there to savor the moment. When we released, I kept him in an embrace. "Thank you, Danny."

I eventually let him go and he seemed confused. "Dash, are you okay?"

I ruffled his hair. "I'm amazing." He smiled and hugged me again. We stayed like that until I spoke again. "So, would you mind if I came over to your house for a little bit. My mom won't be home for a few hours and besides," I pulled his face up for a kiss, "I want to spend some time with my boyfriend now that we don't have to hide it any more."

He paused for a minute, which worried me. "Well... sure. There's just one thing you need to know. I told my parents." I smiled. He got so worked up over the smallest things.

"Danny, is that all? Why shouldn't they know. My mom knows." Well, she figured it out on her own, but that was beside the point.

He lit up. "Okay, let's go." I took his hand in mine, lacing our fingers. He jumped, obviously scared at the public action, but he calmed down and accepted it in the end. We walked the short distance back to Danny's house and he unlocked his door.

"Mom, Dad. I'm back." I followed him into his house and met his parents in the kitchen.

"Oh, Danny-" she cut off when she saw me. "Oh, you brought Dash with you." She had a mixed look on her face before she smiled. She walked over to me and offered her hand. "Maddie Fenton, but you already knew that, I'm sure. It's so nice to meet my son's boyfriend." She seemed really comfortable with something she had just learned about not too long ago.

I shook her hand as Danny spoke. "Hey, Mom, Dash and I are gonna go up to my room for a while. Is that cool?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Sure. Danny. Just don't do anything too extraneous.

"Mom!" Danny tried to defend himself, but suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the house.

"Danny! Is that you?" Danny's dad appeared in the doorway. When he saw me, he paused. "Oh, you invited Dash over?"

"Yeah. We're going up to my room for a little bit." He grabbed my hand and started to walk out of the kitchen. However, when we reached the doorway, his Dad stopped us.

"Danny, you go up. Dash will join you in a moment." He didn't make eye contact with either of us, but I looked at Danny. I nodded to him and he let go of my hand and disappeared up the stairs. Once he was gone, his father turned to me and gave me a mixed look.

I took a defensive stance and just looked at him. We were locked in a staring contest for ages until he smiled and rushed at me, pulling me in for a bear hug. I was very confused. "Sir?"

He put me down and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You know, Dash... we've noticed that Danny's seemed much happy lately. I never would have guessed that you would be the cause of his happiness due to the fact that you used to be a bully." I looked away.

I tried to defend myself. "Yeah, and I'm really sorry, Mr. Fenton. It's just-"

"Say no more, young man. As long as Danny is happy, I am very happy." I smiled. Then he grabbed both my shoulders and narrowed his eyes. "But I swear, if anything happens to him, if you break his heart, you will find yourself at the undesirable end of a shotgun. Got it?"

It took a moment before I found the words to speak. Danny's father was quite scary. "G-Got it."

He immediately backed off and a smile found its way back to his mouth. "Good to hear, Dash. Now go upstairs. Don't keep Danny waiting." I started up the stairs. "And remember, Dash. Shotgun."

"Yes, sir." I finished walking up the stairs and went to Danny's room. He was standing at his dresser. "Hey, Danny."

He jumped and turned around. "Hey, Dash. I was just, uhh..."

He trailed off and I walked over to him and saw what he was looking at. He had put a picture of us that Kwan had taken in the box I had given him earlier. I had him up in a piggy back and he had his arms around my neck. I remember that picture being taken. It was soon after Kwan had found out about our relationship.

"I see you're enjoying your birthday present." He blushed, but nodded. He reached over and shut the box.

He turned to face me and said, "Dash, you know know, I've always wondered something. Why are you going into veterinary sciences? You seem more like the kind of person who'd become a professional football player."

I sighed and sat down on his bed. There were a lot of reasons why and I could spend hours explaining why. Danny stood there waiting for an answer. My thoughts trailed back to him sitting in front of my father's tombstone and I smiled. "Well, it's what my dad wanted to do, but his family couldn't afford college."

Danny didn't say anything, but encouraged me to continue. "Instead, he became a firefighter. And..." I trailed off, tears pulling at my eyes. Danny walked forward, kneeling down in front of me.

"Dash, it's okay, you don't have to say any more." I stopped him.

I wiped my eyes before speaking again. "No, Danny. I want you to know." I paused, collecting myself. "About two years ago, there was a massive fire. My dad was on duty and when he went in," I found it hard to recount the memory. "There was an explosion and they rushed him to the hospital. The doctors did all they could, but in the end..." I didn't even finish my sentence because tears spilled out of my eyes and sobs erupted from me.

Danny sat next to me and pulled my head to his chest. "Shh... it's okay, Dash. You don't have to say anymore." I found it strange. Normally it was me who was comforting Danny, but it was nice to know there was still someone I could confide in.

I pulled up from him and smiled. "Thanks Danny." He didn't respond, just smiled. I picked him up and lifted him into my lap his back to my chest. I wrapped my arms around his abdomen and he laid his head back on my shoulder. He glanced over at me and I gave him a very short kiss. When he pulled away he smiled.

One of his hands trailed down to mine and he took it in his. "Dash, will you promise me something?" I was surprised. I turned him to face me. I had mixed feelings about his questions, but still I had to reassure him.

"Of course Danny. Anything." The hand that was on mine lifted to my face.

"Will you promise me that, even when we go to college, that you will still be my boyfriend?"

I was very taken aback by his question. I was a whole new person because of him. I wasn't about to throw away the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. As if in answer, I pulled him in for a kiss. When I pulled away I said, "Of course. No amount of distance can take away what I feel for you. Whether your college is one town away, or one country away, I don't plan to let you go."

His face lit up. He didn't say anything, though. He stood up from my hold and walked over to his dresser opening the top drawer. "Dash. I have something to show you." He pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to me. I looked between him and the paper in my hand for a moment before unfolding it.

_Dear Mr. Fenton,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Coloroado State Univeristy..._

I didn't bother reading any further. I froze where I sat as so many emotions flowed through me. I looked up at Danny in disbelief. It felt like forever before I found the will to speak again. "Danny, are you... Are you going to CSU?"

He nodded at me. "Looks like you and Kwan will be having another person to spend college with."

I jumped up. "Danny, that's great!" I pulled him into an embrace I couldn't find word to express my happiness. I thought that Danny wouldn't be going to the same college as me, which scared me. I cared for Danny, and I was scared that with distance, we would grow apart. It was probable and that was the last thing I wanted.

Neither of us said anything. We just stood there and and hugged as if nothing else could touch us. Nothing mattered to me anymore. The only thing that mattered to me was the boy I was holding in my arms.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, I can't believe I've made it this far. There is one more chapter after this. It's almost over. I don't know whether to be happy or sad. Well, one thing's for sure. This is probably the first story I've actually finished that people seemed to enjoy. I can't wait to see you next time when the story draws to a close.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Wow... this is it. This is the end. I want to thank you all for sticking with me until the very end. I want to thank each and everyone of you for giving me the encouragement to actually finish this story. I see more stories to be written in the future, but for now, enjoy the, now completed, story...**

* * *

Chapter 13

Danny POV

Saturday night, 6:00.

I was finishing putting on my suit for prom. It was a sleek black suit with a white button-up. I was in the process of tying my black tie with little white dots all over it that made it look like stars. Dash gave it to me the day before. On my dresser sat a black tie with red and white diagonal stripes. It was our school colors and I thought Dash would live it as much as I did because he played football for those colors for four years.

There was a knock at my door and I turned to see my mom standing there. "Hey, Danny." She stood silent for a second, just smiling at me. Soon, she walked over and gave me a hug. I was a little taller than her, but not much. She pulled away and I could see the tears welling up. "You are so grown up, aren't you?"

"Mom, it's okay. It's only prom." I tried to reassure her.

"Prom is very important, Danny. And I bet Dash thinks it's more than just prom." I smiled. I was still very happy that she and Dad were so okay with Dash and me.

"You're right, Mom." Her eyes drifted to the tie folded on my dresser. She reached over and picked it up.

"Are you giving this to Dash to wear tonight?" I nodded and she smiled. 'I'm sure he'll love it. You seem to enjoy the one he gave you." My hand trailed to the tie I was wearing and I nodded. She glanced at the clock. "Well, we should probably get you over to Dash's house if you two and Sam and Tucker want to get to dinner."

Sam and Tucker decided to go to prom together, as friends of course. It was Sam's idea. She didn't want Dash and me to go to prom by ourselves so she suggested the double date. Dash and I were very grateful when they told us that they day after Dash asked me.

There were very few issues with Dash and I being together. Mostly, it was Paulina who gave us looks and said awful things to us, but we didn't mind. It was so nice to walk with Dash in the hallway and have him hold my hand. We no longer had to hide our relationship and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Kwan asked Starr to prom that day too. She hadn't talked to Paulina since her blow-up. She was surprisingly supportive of us, actually. She was a very nice girl; even Sam liked her, and Sam didn't like many people. I was pretty sure Dash invited them to come to dinner with us, but I had no conformation.

"Yeah, we should." I took the tie from her and we walked down the stairs to meet up with Dad. When he saw me, he reacted similar to how Mom did.

He put his hand on my shoulder. "I guess my son's truly his own man now." Honestly, I didn't know why my parents were acting this way, but I do remembered they had the same reaction on Jazz's senior prom. He pulled me into a hug, not a bear hug, but still firm. "Let's get you over to Dash's house.

We got in the car and started driving as their words sank in. I used to think prom was just a dance, but now... It's completely different. It's dawning on me that I will be spending this night with the most important person in my life. I guess it's not the life you live, it's the people you live it with. And prom is what it is because of that wonderful person everybody shares the night with.

That thought made me smile as we pulled up to Dash's house. Sam's car and Kwan's truck were already there. So Dash did invite Kwan. That also made me The three of us walked up to the door and I rang the doorbell. It wasn't long before the door was opened to reveal Mrs. Baxter.

"Oh, Danny, hello! We've been waiting for you." The three of us entered the house as she spoke. I didn't see the others, but I assumed that I would see them soon. "So these are your parents?"

I turned my attention back to her. "Yes. Maddie and Jack Fenton."

She shook each hand. "My name is Jennifer Baxter, Dash's mother, obviously." That made my parents smile. I was sure they would get along. "Danny, why don't you go down to the basement? The others are down there."

"Have fun Danny." Both my parents gave me a hug before I turned to leave. I knew Dash's house fairly well, so I had no trouble finding the basement. As soon as I opened the door, I heard five teenage voices all chatting about.

"Danny!" Sam alerted the rest of them to my presence. I smiled as my eyes trailed over everybody.

Sam was wearing a black dress. That was so like Sam. It had a V-neckline with wide straps. It flowed down her body to her ankles. Her hair was pulled back and her makeup was toned down. Starr had a blue halter dress that went down to her knees with pick-ups along the skirt. Both girls had corsages. Kwan and Tucker had similar black suits. My eyes soon drifted over to Dash.

Even though he, too, was wearing a black suit, he looked amazing to me. He lit up at the sight of me. I walked over to him and hugged him. The others went back to having their own conversation to give us some time. "Hey, Danny." When I pulled away, I noticed he had on a plain black tie. I frowned and Dash noticed. "What's wrong, Danny?"

I pulled at the fabric. "Your tie." I pulled the tie I brought out of the pocket inside my suit. "I think you should wear this one." He took the tie from me and smiled.

"Sure, Danny." He took his tie off and replaced it with mine. "It's great. Oh, I have something for you. He turned around to the desk behind him and picked up a box. He held it and I smiled.

"You got me a boutonniere?"

"Well, I could have gotten you a corsage." I blushed at that and he chuckled. He opened the box and pinned it to my collar. Neither of us got the chance to say anything else because Dash's mom called down to us.

"Kids! It's time to get your pictures taken." She sounded excited but none of us were very happy. Still, we walked up the stairs to the entry room where Mrs. Baxter was standing with a camera. "Why don't you all line up on the staircase?"

We did as she suggested. Dash and I were at the top, Dash behind me. Kwan and Starr followed, Kwan behind Starr. Lastly, Sam and Tucker, Tucker behind Sam. Dash put his hands on my hips and it made me blush. His mom took many pictures of us before speaking again. "Now, I'll get pictures of each couple individually."

We humored her again. She took more pictures than necessary, but none of us said anything. When it was our turn, Dash wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I wasn't normally the most photogenic person in the world, but having Dash next to me was a great reassurance.

Once Mrs. Baxter was satisfied, Kwan spoke. "Why don't we get going? My mom made us reservations." We did as he said. Kwan and Starr got in Sam's car along with Tucker, leaving me with Dash in his car. We drove to the restaurant and were seated quickly. I noticed that there were other groups of people here for prom night.

Starr brought up our first topic of conversation. "So who do you all think will be prom king and queen?"

Tucker added first. "Well, Paulina was nominated for queen. Maybe she'll get voted."

"After how she reacted to Dash and Danny? No way," Sam said.

I decided to contribute. "Starr was nominated wasn't she?"

Kwan jumped up and the question. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll be prom queen, Starr."

She smiled at her date. "Thanks, Kwan, but I don't think so." I could be wrong, but I think she may have glanced at Sam. I think I was just being paranoid. "And I think I speak for everyone when I say Dash is going to be king."

Dash didn't seem to think so. "I don't think so. Who would vote for me after Monday?" I was hurt and pleased at the same time. Hurt because he felt like because no one would vote for him because he was dating me. Pleased because he would choose to be with me rather than be prom king.

"Dash, say what you will, but you have the best chance. Even more than me," Kwan said. He had also been nominated for prom king.

No one else said anything else on the subject as the waiter came up. We gave him our order and when he walked away, we started another conversation. Soon our food came out and we ate as we continued talking. When we had finished and paid we walked back out to our cars. the dance started at 8:00 and right now it was 7:50.

We drove slowly to the school as Dash spoke to me. "So, Danny, are you excited?"

I took a while to answer. There were so many things I wanted to say in response, but I couldn't pick one. I decided finally on a simple one. "As long as I'm spending the night with you, it doesn't matter where we are."

I know it sounded a little cliche, but Dash didn't seem to mind. He didn't say anything, just smiled. We drove the rest of the ride in a comfortable silence. there was no need to say any more.

We got there right around 8:05. Dash parked the car in the spot her normally did and when we got out, we met up with the others. I took a deep breath. I still felt like if we walked into the school, we'd be ambushed by our classmates and thrown into the gutters. Dash obviously sensed my discomfort and took my hand in his, interlocking our fingers.

It didn't take a single word from Dash for me to let go of all my worries and just let him watch over me. We made our way into the gym of our school, where the other students were already dancing and having the time of their lives. Kwan and Starr walked towards the center of the gym and Dash pulled on my hand to follow them.

Everyone there looked like they were having so much fun and it brought a smile to my face that this really was the night for happiness. Dash stopped walking and turned to face me. "Danny-"

But he was cut off by the D.J. "Welcome to Casper High Senior Prom everybody!" This was followed by a loud cheer from the students. "We're going to officially start the party right now! And what better way than with a slow song? So grab that special someone you came to prom with and have a good time for the next few minutes."

Dash gave me a smile and followed the D.J's instructions. He let go of my hand and wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me close. Had it been any other person, I probably would have been hesitant to let them hold me like this, but Dash... I felt like I could do anything as long as Dash was with me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" came on. Other couples around us did the same thing and didn't even glance at us. It was like we were just another couple. With a smile on my face, I laid my head on Dash's chest and danced to the music.

* * *

"Alright, everybody, it's the time we've all been waiting for!" The loudest cheer of the night exploded through the room. "That's right! It's time to announce Prom King and Queen!" The D.J. held an envelope and silence fell over all the students. After all the dancing, Kwan, Starr, Sam and Tucker ended up around us. Sam was standing next to me.

The D.J opened the envelope and slowly pulled out the card. "And your prom king is..." I was nervous. Maybe ever since I heard that Dash was nominated, I wanted so much for him to be king. I squeezed his hand a little with anxiety. Still, it didn't matter to me whether he won or not. I was just glad to be with him.

"Dash Baxter!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. Dash gave me a disbelieving look, but I can't say I was surprised. Maybe a little because of what happened on Monday, but still, people didn't seem to like him any less because of it. "Come on up Dash!"

The students parted like the Red Sea creating room for Dash to make his way to the stage. He let go of my hand very hesitantly, but I encouraged him to go. With my reassurance, he walked confidently to the stage to accept his crown and sash. More cheers erupted, the loudest coming from me.

"And now for Prom Queen..." He opened another envelope and pulled the card out. Sam leaned over to me and whispered. "Why do girls pine over this one award. It's just prom queen. I mean what's the point in-"

"Samantha Manson!"

"What!" Sam was the most surprised person in the room, and to be honest I was just as surprised as she was. And even more surprising, loud cheers, louder than the ones Dash got, rose up in the room. She looked around, not sure what to do and I pushed her towards the stage.

She had a confused look on her face as she walked, but still, she accepted her crown just like Dahs had. "Give it up for your Prom King and Queen." I cheered for them along with everyone else. Dash and Sam stood closer to let the D.J take pictures of them, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. Luckily, it faded quickly when they parted and the D.J spoke again.

"Now let's get their dates up here for the next song." Tucker and I exchanged looks and I could feel people looking at us. "Don't be shy you two. Come on up." We both walked slowly to the stage. I awaited the tomatoes to be thrown, but they never came. I felt better when Dash wrapped his arms around me.

Obviously he noticed my discomfort because he said, "Hey, Danny, just look at me. Nothing else matters right now, just you and me." A huge weight lifted off my shoulders as he said that. I nodded as the next song, "I've Had The Time of My Life" started.

When it ended, the D.J gave us one last congratulations before we left the stage. The noise started up as a faced paced song came up. The four of us met up with Kwan and Starr. Starr looked so excited and finally burst out and hugged Sam. "This is so great!"

"Wait." Sam pulled away from her. "Do you know something about this. She had a wide smile on her face.

"Well, I might have had something to do with it."

"Are you kidding, Starr, it was your idea." He turned to us. "After Dash and Danny came out on Monday, Starr came up with the idea of putting Sam as a write-in on the prom queen ballot because everyone was so accepting of your relationship. We couldn't exactly put Danny on for prom queen, so we went around and told everyone that if they supported you and Dash, to write in Sam for prom queen because she is Danny's best friend."

I was amazed. Kwan and Starr did this... for us? I was so happy. I opened my mouth to speak, but Dash beat me to it. "That's so thoughtful you guys. Thank you." He grabbed my hand. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to steal my boyfriend away for a while."

There were no objections. I did wonder why Dash was taking me away, but I didn't say anything. We weaved through students and eventually we found ourselves outside. There was no one else around and Dash picked me up, kissing me.

"Dash, what's gotten into you?" I was very surprised, and even if he was my boyfriend, that didn't change the fact that I had to question him sometimes.

He put me down and brushed back my hair. I could see his eyes were glazed over with tears of joy. He held the back of my head and said, "This night is just so... perfect. And it's thanks to you."

We stayed like that for a while, my heart beat speeding up. I felt myself smile wider than ever had. I had to agree with him. Never had I been so happy than when I was with Dash. He was the greatest thing to ever happen to me, and sometimes I felt like I was just dreaming. He pulled me close to him. I accepted his embrace and closed my eyes, filling my lungs with that scent that I loved. Vanilla and Honeysuckle.

"Danny... I love you."

My eyes shot open. Three simple words... I expected so many feelings to rush through me like happiness or surprise, but what did rush through me was a memory. A memory that reminded me of why I didn't let anybody in and why I expected the worst. A few weeks after Sam and I broke up...

***Flashback***

_I went to a two week astronomy camp summer camp after Sam and I broke up. She was very comfortable with the break up and even sent me texts daily to assure me that we were okay. After that break up, I spent so long trying to figure out my feelings. Was I gay, was I straight? I didn't know anymore._

_I was lying on my bed that first night of camp and my thoughts drifted to Dash. He was just so perfect to me. I couldn't find one flaw. Even when he was bullying me, I was so happy just to be getting attention from him. So many memories of him passed through my mind and I smiled when I finally confirmed the inevitable. I was gay, and that was all._

_Later that day, I met my roommate, a very great person. He became one of my greatest friends at the camp. Cody Barrett. I spent basically all my free time with him. Day by day passed and he and I grew closer. Eventually, it was the last night of camp and I found myself in our room, both of us sitting on his bed._

_We talked about various things and then a weird silence fell over us. I glanced over at him and before I knew it, he had grabbed my head and pulled me in for a kiss. I was shocked. I thought Cody was just my friend, but I guess he didn't think that way. I didn't make a move to push him away and I guess he thought that was an invitation to further the intimacy._

_He pushed me down on his bed and he pulled away looking me in the eye. I wasn't against this. Maybe he could be someone I could open up to. He put his hand on my face and muttered with a smile, "I love you."_

_A knot formed in my stomach. I told myself that it was just surprise, but underneath all the denial, I was very scared. Cody pushed up my shirt and started placing kisses on the skin. He pulled my shirt over my head and threw it to the floor. I let him kiss me again, telling myself that I wanted this. He pulled away and smiled. _

_"Will you give me this one night, Danny?" I knew what he meant, and I was scared, but I trusted him. I nodded slowly and he smiled, pressing a hand to the front of my jeans. I arched my back when what I assumed was pleasure shot through my body._

_He slid down my body and undid my jeans. I grabbed his shoulders. "Cody..."_

_"Please Danny. After today, I don't think I'll ever see you again." He had a very genuine look on his face and I released my grip on his shoulder. He continued undoing my jeans and once he had all fabric down, he took my member in his mouth. _

_From what I had heard, this should've felt amazing. But what overwhelmed me was... shame... and guilt. This wasn't right. I just wanted it to stop and soon it did. I soon released into Cody's mouth and he sat up, wiping with mouth. I just looked at him as he leaned back over me. _

_I wanted to feel pleasure. I wanted to let him do these things to me and I wanted to enjoy it, but I couldn't. My stomach clenched even tighter, my gut telling me to run away. Time seemed to still until I felt a pressure against my back side. Before I could do anything, he had a finger inside me. That's when one name ran through my head. Dash..._

_I pushed him away and jumped up, pulling my pants back on. I dashed out of the room, down the hall to the bathroom before Cody could follow. Realization rushed over me as the tears ran down my face. I was just going to be a one night stand for him. I didn't want to be used by him or anyone._

_Was that all people saw me as? Just a tool to be used once and then thrown away? No one was ever going to love me. No one. And to avoid getting hurt, i had to put up the ultimate barrier. I had to shut everyone else out and not ever give them the chance to hurt me..._

***End flashback***

I thought Dash's words over again. Why didn't I feel the same way as I did when Cody said it? Rather I felt rejuvenated. So many thoughts ran through my head and I realized something.

Dash was the one exception.

When I was with him, nothing else mattered. Everything that could hurt me disappeared as long as I was in his arms. He made me feel things no one else made me feel. I smiled and embraced him back. In that moment I finally admitted that he was the one. He was the one I could trust indefinitely, that would always be there for me.

Dash changed my life. For once in my life, it felt like my life had purpose. It was because of him that my longing to give up faded. He would be the one to share every amazing moment of my life with me.

He was the one that I would spent the rest of my life with, if he would allow me to.

Every insecurity I had before now melted away and all that was left... was love. I was in love with Dash Baxter. The one person I thought would never love me back was no holding me, telling me he loved me.

Me, Danny Fenton. Little Danny Fenton who never mattered before. In one moment, three words gave me hope, a new direction in life...

"I love you, Dash."


End file.
